Radical transparency: a great incentive to do a good job
Our obsession with openness
When people learn about Dodo’s philosophy and values, there’s one thing they just can’t wrap their heads around: what’s with this obsession with openness? Anyone who wants to can peek into the kitchen, participate in meetings, and examine the company’s entire financial records. Other companies don’t do this — and they’re fine; they live and work just the same.
We explain why we do this and why openness is the main driver of our growth. How exactly does Dodo’s openness manifest itself? Here are just a few examples.
We explain why we do this and why openness is the main driver of our growth. How exactly does Dodo’s openness manifest itself? Here are just a few examples.
- No other chain in the world shares sales data from all its retail locations. We believe that the ability to compare your performance with others and learn from their experience is valuable. We encourage the exchange of data and knowledge. At Dodo, franchisees can see not only their own financial results but also the sales of all the chain’s pizzerias.
- Every monday, the Dodo Pizza team gets together to hear presentations from colleagues on company news and team performance. For the past four years, anyone interested has been able to watch live streams of these meetings.
- Every kitchen in the network (in countries where local laws permit it) is equipped with webcams that continuously stream live footage directly to our website and app.
- We regularly offer kitchen tours. After putting on an apron and a hat, anyone who’s interested can see how things work behind the scenes. We show how we maintain cleanliness, prepare and store ingredients, and roll out dough.
Wait, was that even allowed?
And that’s not the only way to do it! Dodo isn’t the only company for which transparency means a lot, although it seems we’ve gone further than anyone else.
Buffer. All employee salaries at the American company Buffer are publicly available. Anyone can click on a link and find out, for example, that Alfred from the marketing department earns $ 86,000 a year, while Joel, the founder, earns $ 265,315.
Patagonia. Patagonia, a company that manufactures sports and outdoor gear, has a transparent supply chain.
Bridgewater Associates. And, of course, we cannot fail to mention Ray Dalio, who built Bridgewater Associates — one of the world’s largest hedge funds — on the idea of total transparency.
Management experts have long advocated for transparency. The development of the internet has forced both businesses and governments to become more transparent. A book titled "The Naked Corporation: How the New Era of Transparency Is Transforming Business" was published as far back as 2003.
We didn’t arrive at the idea of transparency because we read that book — or any other book, for that matter. It all happened naturally. Every step we took toward transparency was driven by the needs of the business.
Buffer. All employee salaries at the American company Buffer are publicly available. Anyone can click on a link and find out, for example, that Alfred from the marketing department earns $ 86,000 a year, while Joel, the founder, earns $ 265,315.
Patagonia. Patagonia, a company that manufactures sports and outdoor gear, has a transparent supply chain.
Bridgewater Associates. And, of course, we cannot fail to mention Ray Dalio, who built Bridgewater Associates — one of the world’s largest hedge funds — on the idea of total transparency.
Management experts have long advocated for transparency. The development of the internet has forced both businesses and governments to become more transparent. A book titled "The Naked Corporation: How the New Era of Transparency Is Transforming Business" was published as far back as 2003.
We didn’t arrive at the idea of transparency because we read that book — or any other book, for that matter. It all happened naturally. Every step we took toward transparency was driven by the needs of the business.
How we came to embrace openness
Where did the cameras in the kitchens come from, for example? The first Dodo pizzeria opened in Syktyvkar, and at first, it operated exclusively as a delivery service. People were skeptical of it. Launching live streams from the kitchen helped win their trust.
And public financial reporting helped us gain the trust of our partners and attract our first franchisees. That’s how a single pizzeria in Syktyvkar grew into an entire chain.
Does a business need transparency? For some, this remains a controversial issue. Some experts believe that transparency does as much harm as it does good. We, however, are convinced that transparency is a necessity for a company. And here’s why.
Does a business need transparency? For some, this remains a controversial issue. Some experts believe that transparency does as much harm as it does good. We, however, are convinced that transparency is a necessity for a company. And here’s why.
The benefits of openness
1. Openness is a great incentive to do a good job. When everyone on the team openly shares their goals, it provides tremendous motivation. After all, no one wants to fail in front of everyone. You have to give it your all.
2. Openness prevents violations of standards and forces us to operate strictly within the law. When everything is out in the open, you can’t cut corners. And that’s a good thing.
3. Feedback from clients, employees, and partners — that’s what makes us better. It turns out that openness is the key to continuous improvement.
4. Openness inspires trust. And trust is a priceless resource. Dodo is growing so fast because many people trust us and become our colleagues, partners, or investors.
5. For us, openness isn’t just a passing trend. It’s our philosophy — and, in a sense, our mission. We want to live in a world where companies and people are open with one another. And that’s the world we’re building.
2. Openness prevents violations of standards and forces us to operate strictly within the law. When everything is out in the open, you can’t cut corners. And that’s a good thing.
3. Feedback from clients, employees, and partners — that’s what makes us better. It turns out that openness is the key to continuous improvement.
4. Openness inspires trust. And trust is a priceless resource. Dodo is growing so fast because many people trust us and become our colleagues, partners, or investors.
5. For us, openness isn’t just a passing trend. It’s our philosophy — and, in a sense, our mission. We want to live in a world where companies and people are open with one another. And that’s the world we’re building.