When members of an organization hide the truth from each other it sets the stage for distrust, lowered productivity, poor decisions and frustration. On the other hand, to quote a police investigator, "If you tell the truth too bluntly, you get your ass in trouble!"
Creating an atmosphere where speaking and hearing the truth is valued and practiced takes deliberate attention. This is because practicing deception has become normal for many people. You need to work to create a situation where telling the truth becomes normal again.
Several problems interact to cause deception in the workplace.
First, people are afraid to tell the truth about their own perceptions because they don't want to look weak or foolish, lose face, or be proved wrong. Instead of taking these risks, most people try to figure out what others think before they risk revealing their own thoughts. If their ideas seem different, they usually keep their thoughts to themselves.
Next, people suspect and fear that the very people they should be communicating with may react vindictively when they hear an unpleasant or unpopular point of view. This fear is realistic enough that laws have been passed to protect "whistleblowers." While employees fear retaliation, management fears lawsuits.
If this weren't enough, most folks want to be polite and avoid saying or doing anything that might embarrass someone, so they remain silent about very important issues.
Declaring that truth-telling is valued in a organization is obviously not going to do much to change this powerful set of interlocking belief systems. It takes an aware and committed leader to break this cultural norm by modeling behaviors that demonstrate that s/he values input from any source.
This means listening seriously to ideas that are different than those that are generally accepted. It also includes learning to recognize signs that you or others are steering clear of uncomfortable subject matter.
You can increase the chances of others trusting you enough to tell you the truth when you follow these guidelines.
*Respond non-defensively when you perceive that you or your pet projects are being attacked. You are most likely to miss important information when you feel uncomfortable.
*Request further information about unpopular points of view and listen respectfully when it is shared.
* Express genuine appreciation for all speakers, even if you feel impatient and/or disagree with their positions.
Behaving this way communicates, louder than words, your dedication to creating a truthful environment.
It shouldn't come as a surprise that things have changed since the last time you were interviewing. I mean that expectations have changed.
Your expectations, for example. If you're a Gen X or Gen Y employee, you want a job that will give you the skills to move on. Chances are within two or three years. In fact, most Gen Xers and Gen Yers will change career directions six or seven time in the course of their employment history. For you, job-hopping is the norm.
For older employees, stable growth is the norm. You're looking for opportunities to advance initially within your current organization. If not, then a deliberate, careful career move may make sense. But as you get closer to retirement this becomes less likely.
Everyone has different expectations they're looking to be fulfilled in the job market. But so do employers.
Employers? expectations have changed, too, since the last time you went interviewing. And if you can't understand and live up to their expectations, you're out . . . no matter how high-minded your personal motivations are.
For example, today's savvy employers are less interested in what you used to do for someone else as recorded on your resume. They want to know how you can make a contribution going forward. They're more interested to hear that you've taken the time to learn something about them and their organization. And come to the table with a proposal as to how, specifically, you can make a difference.
So, interviewing has changed. Of course, there are screening interviews where your resume will be your passport to get in front of HR types to see if you pass muster. You'll have to jump through all the predictable hoops to see if you're better than your competition.
If the employment gods are smiling on you, you may eventually get to meet face-to-face with the person who could be your next boss. Crunch time. This is where you have to be impressive. And I recommend you focus what you bring to the table going forward rather than a rehash of your work history.
Of course, you can avoid this whole traditional resume scene completely. You can use an amazing non-traditional system that bypasses all the hoops and competition. And lets you talk directly to a decision-maker where you engage in a meaningful dialog that allows you to show your stuff without worrying about any competition. Sound right for you?
Then check out ?The World's Fastest Alternative Job Search System!? It can have you face-to-face with your next boss in a matter of days without all the interviewing hoopla. You can be entertaining a job offer in as little as two weeks!
Both Laurie Weiss & Paul Megan are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Laurie Weiss has sinced written about articles on various topics from Burnout, Travel and Leisure and Guide Guitar. Communicate skillfully about sensitive subjects in business situations. Have the challenging conversations that lead to cooperation and success.