XL10: PAUL GLOVER - Employee Engagement and The Myth of Radical Transparency

XL Podcast

3 Netflix Execs recently took to Slack to air their grievances about the company’s culture and leadership. This was, after all, the same Netflix that advocated “Radical Transparency” in a 127 slide public presentation. The Execs were fired, not because of what they said but how they said it. According to Netflix, everyone is allowed to complain as long as they do it to the leader’s face. That’s not how company cultures work, argues my next guest Paul Glover, a No-BS performance coach. He argues Radical Transparency is a myth. Most employees are not engaged with their leadership and companies, a fact exacerbated by the pandemic and gradual shift towards the “Great Resignation”. The problem companies face today in disengagement and attrition are fundamentally communication problems. Leaders overestimate their ability to communication, influence and engage. Paul should know, he used to be a court room trial lawyer who learned his craft challenging facts and influencing juries. “People will make decisions on emotion and later justify with fact”, he said in our podcast. This applies as much to juries as it does to employees. Great communicators know how to use story, not powerpoint presentations, to communicate engagement and meaning. And often, this starts with being open to truths and allowing their people to speak that truth to power. Open, transparent cultures can be places of joy, but they require a lot of work and vulnerability. In this podcast conversation, we discuss just how leaders can create that culture.