The Transparency Edge

While most books merely state theoretical principles on the need to be more transparent and offer general recommendations on applying these principles, Barbara Pagano tries to show what “being transparent” really means in the day-to-day life of a manager. A professional coach, she dips into a bottomless well of anecdotes and quantified data to demonstrate how everyday behavior can have a considerable impact on the transparency of an organization.
This book does not contain a revolutionary message. The titles of the nine chapters around which the book is structured appear to be common-sense advice (“Be completely honest,” “Don’t break your promises,” etc.) but these apparent clichés hide a multitude of concrete, specific recommendations that are sometimes surprising and even counterintuitive. Certainly, managers who want to adapt their behavior to foster greater transparency will find these tips to be very effective.