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Today is National Honesty Day

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BLOG-04.30.14

Today is National Honesty Day and, managers and leaders everywhere have an opportunity to evaluate the role honesty plays in their workplace. Despite data showing overwhelming support for more honest workplaces, lack of candor continues to cast a dark shadow over many organizations. According to Fierce, Inc., leadership development and training experts, National Honesty Day is a useful reminder to leaders to proactively cultivate a culture of honesty.

Honesty is simply good for business. Companies that foster and encourage honest feedback make more money than companies who don’t. According to a 2010 Corporate Executive Board study, companies that encourage open and honest feedback among employees experienced superior shareholder returns over a ten-year period, outperforming other organizations by 270%.

In light of these figures, the number of workplaces suffering from a lack of candor is astonishing. Fierce, Inc. surveyed over 1,400 executives and employees, finding that 70% of respondents believed a lack of honesty impacted their company’s ability to perform optimally.

Fierce has helped many organizations transform their cultures by emphasizing the importance of honest conversations in the workplace. Here are four tips from Halley Bock, president and CEO of Fierce, Inc. on how to promote candor.

Proactively Solicit Feedback – Honesty doesn’t simply happen organically. Often, employees do not speak up, and when they do, they may abstain from sharing their true feedback out of fear of reprisals. Managers must proactively encourage employees to be forthright and reward them for doing so.

Be Receptive and Cool-Headed – Managers receiving feedback can become defensive, especially if one of their ideas is being challenged. Other times, they instantly shoot down new ideas. As a result, employees become discouraged and are less likely to be honest in the future. Managers need to develop the discipline of listening openly to feedback, even when it doesn’t conform to their notions.

Choose Honesty over Politeness – False professionalism is the scourge of many companies. Being polite, politically correct, or sensitive to other people’s feelings to a fault shouldn’t be an organizational priority. Instead, leaders must foster an environment where respectful, healthy debate is highly valued, and staff members are encouraged to take ownership of their failures as well as their successes.

Bust those Mokitas – A Papua of New Guinea term meaning “that which everyone knows and no one speaks of,” aka “the elephant in the room,” Mokitas are business and culture crushers. Only leaders who dedicate specific time and team energy identifying and confronting Mokitas are able to eliminate them.

These tips will do more than increase productivity and profits. They will strengthen ties between co-workers, increase morale, and create a healthier, more productive workplace.

The post Today is National Honesty Day appeared first on Fierce Leadership Blog.


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