“Well, true is . . .” “If you really want me to tell you the truth. . .” “If I’m telling the truth . . .” “To tell you the truth . . .”
How many times have you heard these statements? Probably too many times to count. It is a fact of life that people lie. As mentioned in Conversationa study by David Markowitz of the University of Oregon found that “on average, people told 1.08 lies per day,” and “the distribution of lies is skewed by some people who tend to lie.”
Lies are not limited to human life, either. Lying, like hypocrisy, happens frequently in the business world – and sometimes makes headlines. Two famous examples of lying in business are the Enron and Theranos disasters.
Over the years, I have seen many lies told in business – some bigger than others, some smaller than others, but lies nonetheless. I have come to the point where I believe that lies are rampant in business, be it lies to order, do nothing or lie. Given this fact, what should business owners do?
Acknowledge Infidelity
The first step business leaders can take to face the unpleasant truth of lying in business? Admitting that infidelity exists. We need to realize that other people can and will deceive us and that we can and will deceive others. It goes both ways. For example, if you have ever hired employees, it is possible that at least one of the candidates lied on their CV. If you’ve ever been asked your opinion on a project but didn’t fully share your opinion, you were lying by not doing anything.
Lies are not always based on bad intentions. Sometimes, we tell little lies because it’s the polite thing to do. As the saying goes, we want to walk together to understand each other. For example, if your dealer asks if you like the new shoes he just bought, it’s not unreasonable to tell him that you don’t think the shoes look good. But, of course, some lies are dangerous and have serious consequences for business owners, employees, customers and society at large.
More Reliable
After acknowledging that dishonesty is common in business, business leaders should do some self-examination—and set a goal to be more honest in their day-to-day interactions with others at work.
Being more honest doesn’t have to mean being mean. You don’t need to give your business partner your true thoughts on, say, their new shoes or purse. But it should be equal to being honest in business matters. For example, if you don’t like sharing your full thoughts on projects for fear of offending someone, change that. Share your thoughts fully using the best forms of constructive criticism to guide you. If you avoid explaining your thinking behind big decisions to your employees, start taking steps to be a transparent leader. If you find yourself telling customers what they want to hear instead of what they need to hear, then start doing something different. People who accept your honesty may feel uncomfortable at first, but I firmly believe that in time, they will thank you for your honesty. There is weight in the saying, “A bad truth is better than a good lie,” and its variations.
The Rolling Stone Culture Council is an invitation-only community for Influencers, Creators and Creators. Am I eligible?
Create a Culture of Loyalty
In self-examination, business leaders should also consider how they may be unwittingly encouraging workplace dishonesty.
It is not enough to tell employees to be honest and tell them not to lie. If the workplace culture is created in such a way that employees feel they have to lie to survive, they are more likely to do so. Another common example I’ve seen goes back to selfish adults in business. Some leaders are so opinionated that they don’t listen to or completely avoid feedback from their team members. Fearing reprimand, employees learn over time that they must hide their true thoughts. That lack of integrity hurts business. Workplace rules are another reason why some employees may feel compelled to lie. For example, in a company that does not value work-life balance, employees may not be honest about why they are requesting time off without notice. a little early. If they want to take a day off to come down, they can say they’re down with the flu to avoid being reprimanded or fired.
By thinking about how their own practices may contribute to workplace infidelity, leaders can begin to change their practices. And over time, employees will become more loyal.
However, that does not mean that people are not responsible for their actions. Even if the environment encourages people to lie, lying is still a human choice. A business owner can create an environment that accepts and encourages honesty, and team members can still lie. Creating a culture of loyalty does not begin and end with business owners. Everyone has to do their part.
Accept That The Lie Will Never End
No matter how much business leaders try to prevent lying within themselves and their teams, the truth remains that lying will never go away completely. Business leaders should strive to be smart enough to detect lies. Effective ways to do that, in my view, include critical thinking, diverse information, and ultimately, avoiding echo chambers by seeking information from different sources and being willing to work with like-minded people.
Additionally, business owners should ask themselves, “What are the living lies?” By answering that question, business owners can set expectations and boundaries for what they will and will not accept.
Lying will not disappear from our professional or personal life. But we can fight it with every choice we make.
#Uncomfortable #Truth #Lying #Business #Deal