The Thirteen Behaviors: #1 Talk Straight 1/11/2018

Organizational Trust: The 13 Behaviors: #1 Talk Straight * Last month we finished with the principal of alignment, how organizations harness the power of behavior. We now take up the 13 behaviors that build trust and allow organizational trust to thrive, beginning with: Talk Straight. Talking straight almost seems like an anachronism in our modern "spin" and "fake news" society. I love the phrase in the film "12 O'clock High" where General Merrill says to General Savage "Let me hear it Frank, with the bark on." Our society has become so afraid of speaking truth that most everything is hedge and shade. Speaking truthfully is not an excuse for being rude or mean but "speaking the truth in love" (wounds of a friend), is a powerful behavior that can help heal our relationships and society. Have you ever heard the phrase "I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Think for a minute about what are the opposite of those three clauses; yes, that's right, what many "spin doctors" publicists and PR firms have turned into a "dark" art (AKA, lying). One of the things that the Speed of Trust curriculum teaches is that there is a "sweet spot" to each of the behaviors. In every situation you must find a way to tell the truth without either 'technically' telling the truth yet leaving a false impression, or on the other hand, blurting out the truth in a way that hurts people. Leaders who learn how to master the "sweet spot" of honest communication are like "golden apples in a silver tray," (highly prized).