Too many employees think that in order to have a smooth, drama-free workplace, they have to sugarcoat their communications with others in the company.
In fact, the opposite is often true.
Spinning bad news or sugarcoating feedback can lead employees to distrust what you say. That road leads not to engagement but to disengagement.
Great employees at every level respect those around them enough to be direct and truthful. That doesn’t mean harsh, of course. You can and should tell the truth in a kind and empathetic way. Just don’t let your kindness and desire to avoid conflict get in the way of authentic truth-telling.
Being honest encourages an open and healthy culture. A recent study by the Corporate Executive Board found that companies with a culture that encourages open, honest communication tend to out-perform less open competitors by more than 270% in ten-year shareholder return.
Start building a workplace culture of honest, direct communication today with your own communications. The payoff is too big to ignore.