The definition of “transparent” is “allowing light to pass through with little or no interruption or distortion so that objects on the other side can be clearly seen.” Building a real trusting relationship requires interpersonal transparency.
This means openness and the willingness to be vulnerable. One way to look at it is; trust becomes a “chicken and egg” phenomenon. I will only be willing to be open and vulnerable with you when you show me that you are willing to be open and vulnerable with me.
Unfortunately, openness has to come before real trust. For people to trust someone they have to be able to know what is going on with them during their interaction. In personal interactions, each participant is, explicitly or implicitly, looking for what is happening with the other person. They look for verbal and non-verbal clues to assess emotional state and what they are thinking. They want to know where the other person is standing and if they are withholding information. In short, they want to know if the other person is being authentic and expressing everything they are thinking and feeling about the issue under discussion or has a withheld/hidden background conversation.
The ERM Process is designed to focus, first and foremost, on building relationship and trust through developing competency by:
- Providing employees tools to build the speaking and listening skills for honest and open conversations
- Teaching each individual the power of being authentic and becoming transparent to allow the light to shine through the relationship. This creates real trust