Are you Afraid of Open-Book Management?

How many times as a child (or even recently) have you been given the advice to ‘face your fears’? Surely we’ve all received motivational advice from someone who urged us to conquer our fear by actually looking it right in the eyes.

With Halloween just around the corner, I thought it would be appropriate to discuss three little words that are known to scare business-people all over the world: Open-Book Management. There, I said it; are you scared? 

A person being afraid of an innocent little concept sounds a little crazy, huh? Well it happens, and you might have been a little afraid of open-book management at first. However, you utter the words “Open-Book Management” in front of the wrong crowd, and you’d think you’d accidently proposed practicing some sort of witch craft.

So what is it about transparency and open communication that is so utterly terrifying to some people? We’ve heard some pretty good excuses over the years; one of the all-time favorites being:“My employees will want a raise…” Well, duh; what employee in their right mind doesn’t want a raise?

As we approach the spookiest night of the year; I’d like to ask our community: What is the craziest fear of Open-Book Management you’ve ever heard (or maybe felt yourself at one time)?