A new KPI

The larger organizational call to action should be clear: Visibility is an enterprise asset that requires purpose, policies, and management. Return on visibility — the belief that measurable value can be had from ethically monitoring people and processes — is more than a provocative idea; it’s a credible key performance indicator.

Greater visibility should make workers feel more empowered, not more vulnerable or exposed. Leaders can’t credibly hide its role as an instrument of managerial control. That means workforces should know where leaders unambiguously champion values-driven visibility and how they will reconcile visibility-driven values when clashes arise.