There are a few concepts I like: 1. Communicate, even if you can’t fully communicate: I like the simple model of a. If you have content, share content that you can b. if you aren’t ready with content share timelines of when you can; & c. if you aren’t ready with timeline, share the process. 2. ‘Leadership Spine’: people trust most the message coming from their manager, not from snr leadership. Equip and cascade messages layer by layer, allowing sufficient time to internalize & challenge/question actions & decisions, so they can effectively transmit messages & answer questions This is a matter of go slow to go fast 3. Feedback loops: be intentional & collect data. Approaches: 1. leadership spine 2. pulse org surveys, &/or 3.ambassadors

In my opinion, balancing transparency and hierarchy during a cultural shift is essential for building trust and maintaining clarity. My approach would involve setting clear guidelines on what will be communicated and how often, ensuring all organizational levels understand the goals of the change. Involving leaders at each level is crucial, as they can inspire their teams and serve as role models. I would also encourage open feedback channels to address employees' concerns and adjust actions as needed, reinforcing that, despite the hierarchy, everyone has an active role in the transformation.

take time to understand the forces that do not want transparency: get clear on their anxieties, why they exist and what position in their hierarchy they are located. Working through a change (not managing it) is all about working with resistance in the system, and recognising that it is as a natural response. Most leaders have been trained to run secret operations and limit access to information to chosen role-holders, transparency runs counter to that training. So create spaces for education about the behaviours and purposes behind transparency. Above all, get yourself a coach/counsellor who can support you to cope with the hatred that will flow your way! Good luck!

Transparency and hierarchy are different things. If an organisation values true transparency, then hierarchy is irrelevant. All too often people in positions of authority only think of transparency across hierarchy. This is not transparency but communication. True transparency has no status or position. Changes to hierarchy in change often causes people to be scared and defend Thier status, this self protection leads to reduced transparency and increased opaqueness.

You have to be very thoughtful about your engagement and communication plan, and ensuring that line managers have the proper supporting structures too, that’s essential. Also being mindful that not everyone will go through the change cycle at the same speed so there might be moments where different approaches are required for different individuals.

Communication, during a change process, needs to be excessive. You can’t ever communicate too much. Transparency and openness are key in « Trust Cultures ». Organizations with « Trust Cultures » navigate change significantly smoothier than others with a « Low Trust » culture. We also need to remember that what’s difficult during a significant change is the emotional aspect. Communication, to be effective I sush circumstances, needs to resonate with employees emotional needs.

We all know it’s about courage. No training or knowledge can help if the leaders involved do not have the courage to say what has to be said when it’s not what everyone else wants to hear. We still seem to think leadership is 80% clever and 20% courage. It’s the other way round and we all know it. The problem is that we also know that the majority of leaders lack that courage.

To balance transparency and hierarchies during culture change: Define Clear Boundaries: Share information purposefully; not everything needs to be shared with everyone. Align Hierarchies with Purpose: Emphasize that structure supports collective goals, not control. Empower Middle Managers: Equip them to communicate changes effectively and address team concerns. Use Layered Transparency: Share high-level info org-wide, team-specific updates in teams, and personalized feedback individually. Acknowledge Transition: Treat culture change as iterative, inviting feedback to adjust as needed.