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No Secrets, No Surprises: Inside a Firm with 15 Years of Open Books
Manage episode 497199974 series 2928679
Most leaders assume that transparency around pay and finances will sow discord or fuel envy. Mel Price is living proof that the opposite is possible. As co-founder and CEO of Work Program Architects, she’s spent the last 15 years running a firm with full salary and financial transparency—by design, not by accident. The result? A company where people understand how money moves, why decisions are made, and how their own work ladders up to business outcomes.
In this episode, we talk about what it really takes to implement radical transparency—from open books and compensation committees to staff-run hiring and contract signing. Mel shares what she's learned from building a distributed leadership model where every employee is given the tools and data to think (and act) like an owner.
Related Links:
- Join the People Managing People community forum
- Subscribe to the newsletter to get our latest articles and podcasts
- Connect with Mel on LinkedIn
- Check out Work Program Architects
Chapters
1. The problem with salary secrecy (00:00:00)
2. Implementing full transparency from day one (00:03:16)
3. Common fears and misconceptions addressed (00:05:43)
4. Financial literacy through transparency (00:09:14)
5. Merit-based system eliminates bias (00:13:03)
6. Future of workplace trust (00:16:10)
7. Final thoughts and contact information (00:19:41)
152 episodes
Manage episode 497199974 series 2928679
Most leaders assume that transparency around pay and finances will sow discord or fuel envy. Mel Price is living proof that the opposite is possible. As co-founder and CEO of Work Program Architects, she’s spent the last 15 years running a firm with full salary and financial transparency—by design, not by accident. The result? A company where people understand how money moves, why decisions are made, and how their own work ladders up to business outcomes.
In this episode, we talk about what it really takes to implement radical transparency—from open books and compensation committees to staff-run hiring and contract signing. Mel shares what she's learned from building a distributed leadership model where every employee is given the tools and data to think (and act) like an owner.
Related Links:
- Join the People Managing People community forum
- Subscribe to the newsletter to get our latest articles and podcasts
- Connect with Mel on LinkedIn
- Check out Work Program Architects
Chapters
1. The problem with salary secrecy (00:00:00)
2. Implementing full transparency from day one (00:03:16)
3. Common fears and misconceptions addressed (00:05:43)
4. Financial literacy through transparency (00:09:14)
5. Merit-based system eliminates bias (00:13:03)
6. Future of workplace trust (00:16:10)
7. Final thoughts and contact information (00:19:41)
152 episodes
All episodes
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