Honesty Matters!
02/17/03
Right Management Consultants reports on a recent survey of white-collar workers: "Workers crave honesty more than any other qualities of leadership. Given a list of 28 attributes, honesty was by far the most important to 570 white-collar employees surveyed in December. Twenty-four percent said honesty was the most important attribute vs. 16% for second-place integrity/morals/ethics, honesty's close cousin. A distant third was caring/compassion (7%). Seemingly important attributes such as creativity (1.2%) and decisiveness (0.8% were nearly last at 24th and 25th."
In our times of uncertainty and broken trust, people crave honest information from their leaders. Straight talk counts. In fact, if workers don't get that information, they will tend to make up their own. Even if the news is not good, it is better to build trust around the truth than it is to break trust and settle for the equally devastating impact of unsubstantiated rumors. Don't sugarcoat your messages with positives; give them the problems and the challenges first. If you want to stress the positive, tell the truth about the problems AND about your faith in the ability of your people to overcome them. Remind them of past challenges, the victories earned and your belief that your team will again win the day. Workers hate surprises, and love to rally around leaders who look to them for solutions in overcoming the problems they face. Far too many leaders are afraid of disappointing or upsetting their teams with bad news. As a result, they often hide until that bad news has become a nightmare for all involved. By sharing problems quickly, you involve your team in helping to overcome those very problems. Truth-tellers inspire trust. If your people want honesty, make every effort to give it to them. Where do you need to be honest this week?
A PAULSON QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Integrity, service and values-based corporate cultures are back in. Trust is a fragile asset that has long-term payoffs for individuals, teams and for those you serve. Core values and one's faith can help direct your choices. They are both your anchor in the rough sea and the lighthouse that helps illuminate a positive and principled course in charting our way in an unpredictable world. I love challenging people to examine their own non-negotiables. After all, honor is a gift you give yourself, your clients, your team, and your company." --Terry L. Paulson, PhD, CSP, CPAE
MONDAY'S MIRTHFUL MOMENT
Loren Ekroth provides this weeks mirth--"Perks for being over 40" from Washington Post Style Invitational. Whether young or old, enjoy what it is like to be over 40!
1) Kidnappers are not very interested in you.
2) There's nothing left to learn the hard way.
3) You enjoy hearing about other people's operations.
4) You have a party and ... the neighbors don't even realize it.
5) You sing along with the elevator music.
6) Your joints are more accurate than meteorologists of the National Weather Service.
7) Your supply of brain cells is finally down to a manageable size.
When you keep your eyes open for mirth, you just may find it! Hope this kicks off your morning and helps get your mood adjusted for the week. Now, get busy MAKING CHANGE WORK and have some fun along the way!...