What Does Transparency Mean To You?
Openness at Mozilla, part 3
This post is part 3 of the Openness at Mozilla series. Read part 1, Building an Open Movement for Internet Health and part 2, What does Openness Mean To You?.
Would you use a public bathroom that had transparent walls?
Take a moment to really think about how you would feel inside of a public bathroom where you could see everyone and everything next to you…and everyone can see you.
If you were to make those bathroom walls opaque, at what transition point would they become opaque enough for you to feel comfortable?
It’s hard to determine exactly when an opaque thing becomes translucent. And when a translucent thing becomes transparent.
In a public bathroom, the more opaque the better. In an organization, an acceptable shade of transparency is more difficult to determine.
Transparency can feel uncomfortable, even threatening. It can also be liberating, inspiring, and build trust that is unattainable with opaque walls. That’s what the Mozilla Foundation is hoping to do.
We’re taking steps to work like a movement, by applying the practices and skills of ‘working open’ to our everyday work. Working open includes many things, some easily achieved, others more difficult. Transparency — freely sharing information about plans, process, and outcomes — is one of them. We’re currently collecting responses from staff on eight questions that will help us determine where we’re already succeeding and where we can improve. You can dive into the first question of the survey here.
The second question in the survey, and what we’ll dive into today, is this:
What does “transparency” mean to you? Do you see transparency as a goal or a means to an end? What do you think can be gained by it?
Why are we asking this question?
Transparency is required for building a movement that liberates, inspires and builds trust across the globe.
For the privacy and security of those connected to the internet health movement we’re building, a shade of transparency must be determined. We want to know exactly where those shades are currently defined within Mozilla, and if those shades need to be moved along the spectrum to make the Foundation the best it can be for the good of the movement.
Why is this question important to me?
I think you’ll agree with me that a public bathroom isn’t an acceptable place to have transparent walls. For organizations, however, I’m all for blowing out those opaque walls.
I’ve been disappointed by companies whose walls are painted with beautiful murals that tell a story of gender, racial, and cultural equality only to find out that the inside is tainted with quite the opposite. I’m done putting my trust and hope in organizations that fight for what’s good, only to find that power and greed have corrupted their mission and people.
I’m excited that Mozilla is asking this question, because trust is the backbone of why transparency is important. Mozilla is an organization that I trust, who is building a movement that I trust. And I want everyone, including you, to clearly see that you can trust Mozilla too.
How would I answer this question?
Transparency within an organization means finding the shade that protects the privacy and security of its people while opening its internal processes to feedback and suggestions from others. Open communication, when things are going well and when things are headed down the toilet, is a requirement. No secrets. No facades. Owning mistakes and asking forgiveness. Serving others always. That’s what transparency means to me.
How would you answer this question?
How would you answer this question for Mozilla? For your community, organization, or project? For a healthier internet?
Leave a comment below and let us know what you think. Have feedback, questions, or suggestions? Let us know at leadopen@mozillafoundation.org or @MozOpenLeaders. Learn more about the OLE team and our work here.
