Is truth important, or are we tied down by "politically correct"?

"Do you want the unvarnished truth, or do you want to hear the sweet-talk?"

When it comes to business processes and project status, I've heard it both ways. Some executives want you to sweet-talk them and some want to be made clearly aware of the precise facts. How about you?

Granted, there are always conditions and dependencies. Every situation is different... Let's assume that we'll all be polite, but not play diplomatic double-speak games. That being the case, in general, how do you feel, as an employee, about "telling it like it is"? Or, if you're in management, how do you want your personnel to deliver communications?

OK - So you're credible... Can you prove it?

A lot of us believe we are credible. Some highly so. Unfortunately, others, including those for which we have worked, might not be in complete agreement. When this disconnect occurs, all the work you have done--the value you delivered--simply disappears and the mistakes--or apparent mistakes--are blasted right to the top.

It's been my experience that a majority of my employers have simply had no clue what I can bring to the table. I'll bet you are in the same boat. Most frequently--and this has been proven time and again by credible research--the "c-suite" has never even tried to tap into your potential. For the most part, these folks are busy being busy and simply have no time or interest in recognizing the potential value in the minds of their personnel.

Result? No matter how good you may be, the "enterprise" doesn't have a clue. Could this be one of the reasons why so many companies feel the need to bring in outside experts--simply to tell management precisely the same things existing personnel have been trying to say? Yep...

Real World - In nearly every project management, negotiations, or technology asset management course I teach, at least 2/3 of the attendees report that their company (their immediate superior?) rarely, if ever, taps into their capabilities. These same folks inform us that their company will pay incredible fees to consultants who proceed to convey the same messages the employees have been trying (unsuccessfully) to convey.

So...and a great deal of my ranting will come back to this critical point: If you want to be credible, you have to take responsibility for documenting what you know, enhancing your own professional development, and ensuring that your name equates with value--both within your own enterprise, AND in your professional industry.

Nobody else is going to perform these tasks for you. YOU have to take control. The days are long gone when we could even partially rely on a single employer (even a dozen or more) to provide us with a stable income. We have all become disposable commodities--to be sucked dry, then tossed on the trash heap along with the other diapers. For the most part, the enterprise has moved on from being an ethical local resource to being a pure profit center. Loyalties are significantly more frequently tied to how much money you made for the company--today--than how much value you bring over the long term. Who was it that said: "If you want loyalty, buy a dog"?

Again: If we, as professionals, expect to remain of value to the enterprise then WE must take control of our own capacity to carry that value wherever we go. The tool kit we used to carry in our hands is now in our respective brains--it's our talents and abilities to link thought with actions. As such, that mental/professional toolkit goes with us wherever we go. Either we (YOU) are in control of our (YOUR) future or we (YOU) are not.

(Sorry... My purpose in this blog is to speak up. If this offends you...read the books Nickel & Dimed, or Bait & Switch--Or any of a thousand other resources that clarify the current relationship between employer and employee.)

Are you afraid to argue?

Some of the more notorious members of my extended family are Italian and man, can those people argue. But, you know what? Even when they're howling at the moon, you always know precisely where they stand. What's more, after the average (and very noisy) discussion ends, everybody remains friends and goes on their merry way.

Here's my point: Are you afraid to argue with, or question, those around you? Do you tend to put on your cute little happy face--no matter how wrong you honestly believe the other person to be? At work, are you the proverbial "Yes, Man" or woman? If so, you may have found that you are losing your personal and professional direction.

It never ceases to amaze me that the students in my collegiate project management courses, technology asset management courses, or even negotiations programs absolutely refuse to question my perspectives. These are working adults, professionals in their respective fields, and I literally have to push them to think critically--to question the ideas and concepts we discuss.

Is this you? Do you always agree with the boss, simply because they're the boss? Do you see things happening within your life or career that threaten to improve the status quo and merely ignore them? Are you a corporate drone, having been beaten down by "THIS is the way we DO things here!"? If so, is that a good thing?

I have a personal perspective that goes something like this: "You are either in this (pick a profession or job) to be productive and contribute positively to our mutual growth or you are here as a spectator--watching the rest of us DO on your behalf."

And why am I intruding on your personal space with this drivel? Because I firmly believe that one of the key problems I encounter--time and time again--in nearly every corporate setting--is that people are no longer encouraged to, or willing to, ask questions. Without this level of free thought, our abilities to survive, grow, and compete are seriously diminished.

Resource: Take a look at the book Fierce Conversations, by Susan Scott, (Berkley Books). I firmly agree with Ms. Scott that it is time for us all to begin seriously considering how our meek and accepting perspectives have limited our potentials. Let me know what you think...