Open Book Management

The discussion concerning Corona Virus opened a fresh wound. My wife had been out of work for several months due to the virus. There were so many unintended consequences, and I thought a lot of the screw-up were due to politicians around the globe trying to hide the eight ball and not tell the true story. It got me thinking about open book management.

“Lord, you previously mentioned being transparent as a leader, but with so much data and the mantra of following the science, when in fact science if often skewed, how can a company truly have open book management?”

The Lord laughed. I mean he really laughed. Then the laughing soundtrack came on and lights blinked saying “applause.”

“Sam isn’t there a great saying that the truth will set you free. Yes, I believe in open book management.  Well, the truth is…my book is open book management. It is the ultimate description of good-bad, happy-sad, and all the ying and yang. That is what makes it so great. I do not need to hide anything. It was not just about success. I probably have more failures than success stories. I want everyone to learn from their mistakes. The same should be undertaken by managers and leaders. Yes, there are sensitive topics that should not be covered by everyone. In the Bible I did not go into detail about some of the personal matters people faced. If it was not relevant, why should I share sensitive information that does not help others?  In contrast, everything else that helped teach the people and lead to action should be disclosed.”

I looked at the copy of the Bible on his desk. There must be some great stories about being open and those would resonate with leaders who hold everything close to their vests- probably due to fear.

“Sam, fear should not be the reason. It should be that people keep others informed to stop them from being afraid. Take for example Moses. When he built my sanctuary, he gave a public accounting of everything that was given and what it was used for. He did not want anyone thinking he was taking anything for himself. He was able to diffuse any attack by undertaking a pre-emptive strike. Managers should do the same thing. Being open helps prevent those attacks we know haters are going to raise.”

While I looked at the Lord, the Bible on his desk opened. Words started floating into the air. An optical illusion version of open book management. However, it worked. All those stories of palace intrigue with King Saul, King David, and King Solomon showed that when things were kept in the dark it led to trouble. The message came right from the Bible- share the words, share the numbers, share the stories whenever possible. That was one of the simplest strategies straight from the Lord.