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Get Transparent: Losing the “Stealth” Mindset Inside & Out

Tony Bacigalupo Social Entrepreneur / Community Organizer, Behance Recent Posts

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August 14, 2009

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Charlie O’Donnell, former member of Union Square Ventures and founder of career help site Path101, originated a concept called “uber-anti-stealth,” which was meant to be the antithesis of the “stealth” mode many startups enter into when building their product.

His main reason? Businesses use “stealth” mode to hide ideas that they fear others might steal. But, in most cases, those fears of stolen ideas are largely unfounded. What’s more, by hiding what you’re working on, you make the job of getting people excited about using your product that much harder. You also sacrifice the opportunity to learn what your real-life customers think of your product as you’re building it.

The same holds true for management within an organization. Managers who willingly share challenges and issues with their teams seize an opportunity to build trust, solicit help, and create stronger bonds, while managers who hide those challenges, especially in uncertain economic times, risk perpetuating wild theories as people fear the worst.

When I saw membership dip at my coworking space, New Work City, I realized that trying to devise solutions by myself was a waste of time. Instead, I called upon the members who cared about the organization to help. When I shared the details of where the company was at, members were happy to give me detailed advice on what they believed we needed to change.

I made several adjustments, including revamping our pricing model and how people sign up for membership, and we were right back on track — and have been growing steadily ever since. Not only has business improved, but the people who offered their help now feel a greater sense of ownership and participation.

What challenges are you dealing with? In what ways could you reach out to people inside or outside your organization for help?

***This post comes from Tony Bacigalupo, founder of New Work City, a co-working space in New York City, and a partner at Shift 101, a workspace consultancy. Tony’s fieldwork feeds into the knowledgebase of the Behance Team, who run the Behance Creative Network, the Action Method project management application, and the Creative Jobs List.