Creating an open, honest, and transparent office culture is imperative for organizational success, experts say. Getting there, however, takes hard work and—most of all—commitment to the cause.

For an executive, fostering honesty leads to better assessments of ongoing—or potential—workplace problems, improves employee retention rates, and puts staff members on a path to succeed when handling on-the-job tasks. On the flip side, it makes employees feel appreciated and encourages them to strive toward an organization's goals.

And it's employees who are often the face of the organization to members and other customers, says Jenny Schade, president of JRS Consulting. They need to feel comfortable relaying news to higher-ups—good or bad.

"The employees are the frontline of the company; they're in the field and they need to share information back to management so the right products are developed, the right services are rendered," she says. "Management needs to send clear signals that they're really interested in feedback and make sure they're not putting up barriers to employee feedback."

Schade has worked with clients to foster better dialogue between executives, employees, and customers for years. Along the way, she's learned a few lessons that leaders in the C-suite can take to heart if they're committed to creating an environment that values honest feedback.

Fostering honesty leads to better assessments of ongoing—or potential—workplace problems, improves employee retention rates, and puts staff members on a path to succeed.

Take time to listen. A good manager avidly seeks feedback from staff members, says Schade. She recalls a manager who went on a listening tour after assuming a leadership position. It demonstrated her commitment to open dialogue. Her employees appreciated it and, in return, paid closer attention to her directives, Schade says.

Watch your language. No, not for curse words, but jargon. Make sure your employees understand what you're saying. Schade believes one trap managers fall into is using "executive speak," leaving staff members confused and unsure of what's expected of them.

Walk the talk. Schade has seen too many executives implement an open-door policy but then fail to live up to it. One example is an executive who multitasks while speaking with subordinates, sending the exact opposite message to the employee, Schade says.

Answer tough questions. If you're inviting employees to ask away, be prepared for challenging questions. The trick is to answer honestly and not punish staff members for making difficult inquiries. Schade recalls one person who saw his career effectively end at an organization after asking a tough question during a town hall meeting. "Those kinds of stories spread like wildfire" among the rank-and-file, she says.

But critical feedback forces leaders to reexamine their decision-making process, according to a report published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, while unwavering agreement from employees often encourages them to think along increasingly self-interested lines. Given the fear of punishment many employees may have, the researchers recommended that feedback should flow "through some sort of mediator … or be anonymous."

Not every situation can be handled anonymously, Schade says, and in those cases, honesty is critical.

Employees "have to be direct and have the confidence to go in and say, 'I got this communication and I'm really interested in helping, but there are a couple of questions,'" she says.

Knowing how to foster an open and honest workplace comes naturally to some executives, but for those who need a little training, help is out there. "If you're feeling like you're struggling, get some coaching. There is good coaching available," Schade says.