{"id":228,"date":"2019-06-19T18:38:55","date_gmt":"2019-06-19T18:38:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greensummit.co\/?p=228"},"modified":"2019-06-19T18:38:55","modified_gmt":"2019-06-19T18:38:55","slug":"java-with-joe-telling-the-truth-in-organizations-7-guiding-principles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greensummit.co\/?p=228","title":{"rendered":"Java with Joe: Telling the Truth in Organizations: 7 Guiding Principles"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Most of us have been taught from a very young age that we\nshould tell the truth. Our parents and teachers have tried hard to help us\nunderstand that \u201chonesty is the best policy.\u201d How old were you when you first\nheard the story of George Washington and the cherry tree?  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But if the importance of honesty has been reinforced since\nwe were children, why do so many people\u2026including those in positions of\nauthority\u2026have such a hard time telling the truth? Conversely, why are people\nwho speak truth to power so often attacked? Why do we need laws to protect\n\u201cwhistle blowers\u201d who pull back the curtain on dishonest organizations? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And speaking of organizations, why do so many seem to have a\nreal problem with the truth? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I understand that telling the truth isn\u2019t always simple. I\nunderstand that \u201ctelling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth\u201d\nis a high bar\u2026and I appreciate that it may not be the appropriate standard in\nevery case. But let\u2019s be clear: lying, covering up, deliberately being\nmisleading, and other dishonest tactics should have no place in our public life\nor in our organizations.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organization leaders should always strive to tell the truth,\neven if it is painful to do so. Equally important, they should enable and\nindeed reward the organization\u2019s people to tell the truth\u2026again, even when the\ntruth hurts. In high performing organizations, there\u2019s no such thing as bad\nnews. There\u2019s only news that can make you better or validate the path you\u2019re\nalready on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, with all this in mind, here are a few thoughts for you\nto consider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guiding Principles\nfor Telling the Truth in Organizations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Be Predictable: <\/strong>When\nleaders consistently tell the truth, whether they\u2019re delivering good or bad\nnews, they become predictable and build trust across the organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2.<\/strong> Be On-time<\/strong> but Be Time Sensitive:<\/strong> When truthful information is disseminated\nwidely and in a timely manner, it stifles rumors. If you wait too long to get\nthe information out, you may well lose control of the story. Sure, you need to\nthink about whether people are ready to hear what you\u2019ve got to say \u2026whether,\nfor example, they\u2019re in the right emotional state to really listen\u2026but that\nsaid, don\u2019t wait for the \u201cperfect\u201d time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Don\u2019t Shoot the\nMessenger: <\/strong>Those who tell the truth about embarrassing mistakes or issues\nneed to be rewarded, not punished. So, recognize them and tell stories about\nthem. That\u2019s how you build a culture of trust\u2026and get the information you need\nto get things right the next time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Follow Up Quickly:\n<\/strong>When mistakes or problems are revealed, be rigorous about looking for ways to\nimprove the situation. Success depends as much on finding ways not to repeat\nmistakes as it is on how to replicate success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Publish the Process\nand the Results: <\/strong>Be transparentabout the steps you\u2019re taking to\nresolve difficult situations, and let people know what solution you finally end\nup with\u2026and why.  Do that consistently\nand you\u2019re on your way to higher levels of trust, engagement, and performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Share the Pain: <\/strong>When\nthe truth hurts, don\u2019t be afraid of sharing your own feelings. When you\u2019re\nviewed as authentic, you\u2019ll also be viewed as more trustworthy. Chances are\nothers are feeling the same pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. What You Tolerate\nis What You Believe: <\/strong>As a leader you can stand up in front of people and\nsay what you believe. It won\u2019t mean very much, however, if people see you\ntolerating untruthful behavior in others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, let\u2019s be clear: setting a high bar for yourself and\nothers when it comes to telling the truth is critical to building a culture of\ntrust. It\u2019s critical to building a culture where people give their best\u2026and\nbecome their best. \u201cHonesty is the best policy\u201d is far more than a corny\nsaying: it\u2019s a pretty good guide to becoming an effective leader and building a\nsuperior organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do you handle\nsituations when a person comes forward with a mistake that has happened or with\nan organizational problem?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When was the last time\nyou recognized and told a story about someone who brought forward an issue that\nneeded to be addressed?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do you think your\npeople view you in these situations?<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Most of us have been taught from a very young age that we should tell the truth. Our parents and teachers have tried hard to help us understand that “honesty is the best policy.” How old were you when you first heard the story of George Washington and the cherry tree?  But if the importance […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-228","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/greensummit.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/greensummit.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/greensummit.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greensummit.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greensummit.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=228"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/greensummit.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":230,"href":"https:\/\/greensummit.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228\/revisions\/230"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/greensummit.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=228"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greensummit.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=228"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greensummit.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=228"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}