Social Responsibility Begins with Transparency

Transparency - what a cumbersome relationship the social sector has with this term. Actually, it’s not just the social sector, this is common across most sectors. Too much of it and individuals or organizations are more scrutinized for every decision they make. Too little of it and they're criticized for having something to hide.

When it comes to social responsibility, it’s easy to conflate transparency with a big announcement about a new community program or a ribbon-cutting marked with pomp and frills, but it shouldn’t start or end there. Transparency should begin when organizations commit to making a decision that will impact the communities they serve and it should continue well after that decision is made.

By building transparency around how organizations reach major decision points and the stakeholders involved, organizations can create deeper levels of engagement with communities. It's less expensive than throwing another ribbon-cutting ceremony, but if that's the case - why isn’t there more of a culture around it?

That’s because it’s harder to orchestrate and sustain. Transparency invites opinions from others which leads to which ideally leads to dialogue. Dialogue with many stakeholders takes time and it requires responsiveness from both parties. Coordinating community engagement is a timely process and oftentimes, it creates a layer of accountability that people don’t like. Strange right? How can people who work in a sector in service of others dislike being held accountable to the people they serve? Unfortunately, it’s more common than one would think, but that’s a topic for another day.?

So how can organizations create transparency around the steps that lead to social impact?

Here are three ways to do it:

1. Create a blog or dedicate a page on your website that tracks your story. This will help people understand the thought process and the steps involved in designing a social impact program. It will also help the communities that you are trying to impact feel included in the process. Involving the very communities you are trying to help creates more support and buy-in towards your initiative. This is a key ingredient in ensuring the success of any program.
2. Host virtual events surrounding the different decision points. Involving stakeholders early on is one thing but giving them room to provide input is equally important. Sometimes these events can make it easier for stakeholders to ask more questions and engage in dialogue as the initiative is being rolled out.
3. Get creative and use your organization’s social media (LinkedIn stories) to help! We live in an increasingly digital world where people stay updated about everyday happenings through 280 characters, a news notification, texting with a friend, or a question from a stranger, "Did you hear about such and such?". In an age of information overload, sometimes meeting people where they are and sharing information in creative and accessible ways goes a long way towards creating more buy-in.

Although it may be a little uncomfortable for organizations to become more open about how they make the decisions that lead to social impact, this would encourage the sharing of information while ensuring that those in positions of authority are accountable to others. What do I hope this leads to? A deeper appreciation for the presence of these organizations in the communities they serve.