How “To Tell the Truth”

By Barbara Bartlein

Most baby boomers remember the hit TV show of the late 1950’s and 60’s called To Tell the Truth. Hosted by Bud Collyer and Gary Moore, a panel of celebrities would question three contestants to determine who was telling the truth. Entertaining and funny, it was amazing to see how often a participant would completely fool the panel and sell them on a series of well-spun lies.

But today employees, consumers, and stockholders are no longer laughing over the search for truth. Driven by “infectious greed,” according to Chairman Alan Greenspan, trust in Corporate American is in shambles. More than seven in ten Americans say that the CEO’s of large corporations cannot be trusted. Almost eight in ten believe that top executives will take “improper actions” to help themselves at the expense of their companies.

In the past year, the number of Americans who see Big Business as a threat to the nation’s future has almost doubled to 38% according to a recent Gallup Poll reported in USA Today. When more than 500 adults were asked which groups they trusted, the CEO’s of large corporations were second from the bottom with managers of HMO’s the least trusted group in the country. Incidentally, 84% of those surveyed indicated that they trust teachers the most.

Trust is one of the most basic human values and is taught beginning at birth. For society to function, trust is absolutely essential. When it is destroyed, societies falter and collapse. It is one thing to be wary of a door-to-door salesman selling encyclopedias and another to be suspicious of leader in a Fortune 500 Company.

Granting trust to others often happens in degrees based on personal experience. All of us can rebuild the trust in business and our personal lives by getting back to basics.

• Do what you say you are going to do. Yes, it sounds simple. But there are many folks who mistakenly believe that intentions count. Actions and results are the measures of accountability. Even though the leaders of Enron and WorldCom did not intend to harm employees and stockholders in their business decisions – that is exactly what happened. Driven by greed and murky ethics, they made decisions that affected the lives of thousands of people.
  
  
• Periodically do a value-check. It is all too easy to lose focus on what is important; family, friends, community, and helping others less fortunate. The greed driven, materialistic hub of corporate America made it all too easy for overpaid executives to pursue personal McMansions rather than uphold the commitment of a leadership role. Do a check on your values. Are you chasing titles and money believing the “more will make me happier” myth? Ground your life in the critical values of honesty, integrity, and caring for others. Remember, at the end of the day, we have to answer to the person in the mirror.
  
  
• Examine carefully the people who are promoted to leadership positions in your business and your life. Do they have a track record of good decision making and impeccable judgment? Are their lives focused with a moral compass so decisions are consistent? We all have a moral obligation to stand up and speak when we observe actions or behaviours that are questionable.
  
  
• Redefine business and personal success. The sole driver for success in recent decades has been money, balance sheets, and increasing net worth. True success is leading a life of significance and contributing to a larger good. The question should not be “How much do I have?” It should be, “How have I made a difference?” Pursue significance rather than success.
  
  
• Practice humility and self-disclosure. Trust builds when we are honest about what we know, what we feel and most importantly, what we don’t know. Share with employees and co-workers your observations, feelings, and thoughts on business dealings and transactions. Make a commitment to significance in your community. Remember; losers make promises, winners make commitments.
  

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Barbara Bartlein is the PeoplePro™. She helps businesses sell more goods and services by developing people. She can be reached at 888-747-9953, by email at: barb@barbbartlein.com or visit her Web site at www.ThePeoplePro.com.

Published in Networking Today, October 2002.