In today’s world, we are bombarded with news from misleading and unreliable people. They can get away with something (or many things) for a long time, but eventually they get caught. These people may have grown up hearing the phrase, “Honesty is the best policy,” but they obviously chose not to take this ethical path.
In a team environment, honesty can still be difficult. When other team members ask you questions, you may be reluctant to tell the truth. There are a myriad of reasons why someone would act this way. A common one is having a lack of self-confidence in expressing their opinions, which can make them afraid of how others might react. Others might include “withholding” information or opinions, not so much for being dishonest, but for the time being it may be information that is not yet allowed to be made public. Lastly, there are some who act in this way to elevate themselves and their needs above others no matter what the result may be; they only care about themselves and will do whatever it takes, including lying, to get there.
So how does a leader and other team members make sure someone is honest? If a person is new, he needs to build trust with others, but it takes time. If the person is initially hesitant to speak, everyone needs to encourage the person to express their opinion. Over time, team members must learn who is more trustworthy than the others, but ideally, work in an environment where everyone is honest.
What about the “little white lie”? If it’s used so as not to hurt someone’s feelings and it doesn’t cause any problems for the group, is it acceptable? These examples are commenting on someone’s attraction or her plans for the weekend. However, what happens when the lie grows and grows to the point that one has to “confess” because he has backed himself into a corner? Accepting responsibility for the lie(s) is the first step, but how willing are others to accept the apology? The additional problem is that rumors and gossip can begin to circulate around the team and compound the lie.
Leaders must be in tune with what is happening every day, even if they are not physically in the office. It is important that they really spend time understanding the dynamics of each person, the interaction between two or more people within the team (potential clicks), as well as the team as a whole. It is true that being honest can cause conflict, but it is better to stop a small forest fire, otherwise it can turn into hell and you may never be able to regain full credibility with the culprits.
As you read this, think about the last lie you told. It was worth it? A person in the behavioral health field once told me that people lie because it makes them feel good. I think that’s just one way of looking at this. Let’s be honest here, lying has brought down all kinds of organizations, so it’s worth doing a self test and seeing how honest you really are and then evaluating others on the team. The goal is to create harmony (another good H-word) in your workplace.