What Is a Lie?

So, what is a lie? Sounds like a silly question, doesn’t it? I mean, a lie is an untruth; it’s when you … lie, right? I think it’s more than that, especially in business. Too often in business, we excuse ourselves from lies.

What Is a Lie?Is This a Lie?

Whether at home or the office, if you commit to something and then don’t follow through, is that a lie? I think it is. However, in business, I too often hear, “That’s just business,” “Sometimes it happens,” “I had other priorities,” or some other such nonsense. The bottom line is that if you or I commit to something and don’t follow through, we lied. There should be no excuse for it, and here’s why. When we excuse ourselves for bad behavior, it’s much easier to repeat it.

How About This?

If someone doesn’t tell you the whole story or omits information, is that a lie? If it’s done purposely, yes, it’s a lie. We’ve all seen this done to get the sale, and many of us have probably done it. The worst part is that if you get the sale or make the connection without divulging all that can or will happen, it seldom ends well.

So, Why Does this Happen?Why does this happen to start with? As I mentioned, we excuse ourselves from telling lies because of the “that’s just the way it is” BS, but sometimes, it’s unintentional.We agreed to something before we checked with everyone on the team. I’ve seen this happen. One person commits to something and then a week later tells you the VP of whatever didn’t like the idea. Sorry. So, before committing, be sure you have the authority and speak for the entire staff.Sometimes, we jump too fast and need to think our commitment through. That’s when someone comes back to you and explains that it’s more work, time, money, or whatever they thought it would be. Sorry, we can’t follow through on the commitment, but you know, that’s just business, right?The worst is when someone never meant to follow through with their commitment to you but didn’t have the courage, respect, or consideration to tell you no.

Before you commit to something, ask yourself, “Can I follow through with this? Will anyone on the team object? Do we have the resources?” If you’re not certain, don’t commit. Tell the truth, such as “I need to consult the team, check resources, or think it through.” If you don’t and back out of your commitment, it’s not just how business works. It’s because you are a liar.

How Can I Help You? 

I like to help people and organizations, but I have three criteria I consider before taking an assignment – I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun. If you have any questions, Contact Me. 

So, does your business have a management training plan? Because if not, many organizations, large and small, use my book, The New Manager’s Workbook a crash course in effective management, as the basis for their leadership development program. Check it out. It might help you stop putting off what you want to do.

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy Leaders vs Commanders: Which Approach Drives Success?

Photo by Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash

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