Trust and Transparency, Always…in All Ways

Transparency requires openness, honesty and clarity in communication - and action. It’s about walking the talk. At HARMAN, coworkers have confidence in each other’s integrity and intention and feel confident to speak up and discuss weaknesses and failures. 

Our company holds regular Town Halls where we share the good, the bad and what we’ve learned along the way. In a recent forum, a senior manager with more than 20 years of experience admitted a recent challenge that he had never faced before. The executive described how this made him feel as well as how he turned the situation around. When employees open up in settings like this, it leads to stronger connections and more positive outcomes for both the business and our people.

In 2022, we launched Transformational Goals which have become a cornerstone in driving change within our organization-together. Updated on an annual basis, these goals are directly derived from our automotive strategy and are significant steps on our transformational path to our 2030 objectives. 

We designed goals for each strategic pillar: Quality & Stability, Growth, Profitability & Performance, Technology & Innovation and Culture.  The idea is to move forward as One Automotive Team toward our desired target state with common goals. This collective mission propels our Transformation journey and helps us to become more agile and effective as one organization. 

Goals and progress are fully transparent and visible to all on a shared dashboard that details KPIs, milestones and results. Transformation status is easily accessible to our entire organization on the HARMAN intranet. 

Our Transformational Goals are led by team members appointed by the leadership team and trusted to make an impact and drive results. Titles don’t play a role in our selection process: rather, it’s about skillset, mindset and attitude. 

Trust involves recognizing that we’re all human. During the year, our teams face challenges and uncertainties-and mistakes are a natural part of the process. In a trustful environment, missteps can be openly addressed and solutions identified.

Transparency also enhances decision-making. Complete information allows stakeholders to have a comprehensive understanding of a situation and its implications-and make better decisions. In the end, this makes our products better as well as our results. 

Clear communication and practices also create a positive work environment. Employees feel valued, informed and empowered. When this happens, morale and engagement rise, and work doesn’t feel so much like “work.”

That’s a true Superpower for any organization! It makes our teams and our products better. At the end of the day, it’s more fun and fulfilling to work in an environment where trust and transparency are the norm.

Amanda leads Business Transformation at HARMAN Automotive where she also serves as a DEI Ambassador. Reporting directly to our President Christian Sobottka, Amanda actively drives the organization toward our 2030 Transformation Goals. With more than a decade in the industry, Amanda has held various positions in Marketing, Sales and Strategic Partnerships.