Time 12:48

A misnomer of social media is how some interpret the definition of transparency of information. It doesn’t mean opening your kimono for all to see your company’s warts. (For some this can be an unpleasant experience both on the opening end and on the viewing end) Transparency does mean to give insight, context, and comment on company strategy, industry trends, global events, internal personalities, and other topics of interest to your stakeholders and audiences.

Shel Holtz and John C. Havens thoroughly explore this topic in their new book Tactical Transparency: how leaders can leverage social media to maximize value and build their brand. Social media allows for deeper discussions about a wide range of topics. I liken transparency to a sports color commentator.

Let’s take football for example. Forty years ago when I watched football with my dad, it was a Sunday afternoon event. I grew up in New York so it started around noon. Today football has become a daily stream of information, from game day strategy, nickel packages, and counter treys to injury reports, weather impact, and nutrition regimes. Teams are not giving away their plays, signals, or secret weapons, but they are providing or allowing insights to the game that has made it more engaging for the fan.

Bottom line, transparency gives more for your stakeholders, customers, and other potentially interested parties to engage your company. You become a more interesting party with which to have a relationship, and business is all about the relationship.

Note: If you are interested in buying the book, Havens has created a super deal for Tactical Transparency. www.ttoffer.com – read this first, then make your purchase.

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