Each Sunday our goal is to share a piece of gold with you; some small piece of information that helps you to have a better week and achieve a better outcome.  

As we all know too well, growing a business is not easy. From finding good clients and people management to financial statements and risk management, there is simply a ton to do. That is why I wanted to share my thoughts on surrounding yourself with Truth Tellers.  

As leaders, one of our jobs is to solve problems in our areas of specialty. Sometimes these are fires the pop up without notice and sometimes they are more strategic in nature as we mature the business and work to achieve new levels of success.  

It is because of this responsibility (and others) that it is critical for all leaders to surround themselves with Truth Tellers. It is hard enough to solve the multitude of problems that hit our desk – and this gets even more difficult when you don’t know all the facts or don’t have people who are willing to tell you the truth, even when you don’t want to hear it.  

“We are going to lose this client.”  

“We are going to lose the key employee.”  

“We are going to miss the deadline.”  

“Your presentation missed the mark and confused the team.”  

“We have a team that is about to implode.”  

“We don’t have the cash necessary to execute on our plans.”  

I’m quite sure you can read these statements and remember the day when a truth like one of these was the case for you. It might even bring back the anxiety that you felt when you were faced with it. I’m sure you also know that if you had known about these challenges sooner, you might have been able to have a larger impact.  

These situations almost always “pop-up” when the leader doesn’t want to hear it… and as a result, people pause or delay in sharing.   

This morning, I would challenge you to consider this: the chances are that it is not their fault for avoiding or for delaying. It is yours.   

Most people avoid conflict. Your job is to make it as easy as possible. It is our responsibility as leaders to create an environment where people can approach us and tell us information about situations when it is hard to hear and hard to share but must be dealt with.  

If we don’t create that safety, we cannot be surprised when people pause or avoid the conflict. This is why we have to be prepared to hear bad news without losing our shit or acting like someone has just kicked our pet. We must thank them for having the courage to share, then ask them what actions they think we should take to provide the best resolution.  

When we collaborate like this, we build leaders. When we only tell, we build followers.  

Often individuals will leave a business and take an offer for more pay because they are afraid to tell their boss they are in a financial pinch and need a raise. I share in Adapt or Die that talking about money is kinda like talking with a teenager about sex. If you wait until it is a problem, it is too late. Sure, it is awkward and uncomfortable, but we must deal with it.   

I suggest that you have a specific conversation and encourage your team to flood you with the facts, tell you the things you don’t want to hear, tell you no, and tell you where you are wrong as soon as possible.  

They may look at you a little crazy – like “Of course I would. That goes without saying” … however, when the uncomfortable situation arises, they will likely still pause.  

You may think “I’m approachable. I’m laid back. It is easy to talk with me.” 

However, you are still a boss, and some people have concerns about sharing bad news with a boss. Everyone has worked for an asshole and those memories carry forward.  

It is because of this that your team must practice this process. I suggest starting with a facilitator to help. One exercise is to bring the team together where each person has to share one thing about every person on the team that they appreciate and one thing that could be improved and why. Going through this process creates that uncomfortable experience that makes the next challenging conversation a bit easier.  

Tell your team that they have permission to come to you and say something like, “Tom, do you remember when you told me to come to you as soon as possible with some bad news? I need to have one of those conversations.”  

Additionally – challenge all the leaders in your organization to do the same in their teams. This helps facilitate a culture of honesty across your entire company. 

Another exercise is to ask questions in 1-on-1 meetings such as, “Please tell me something about myself or the business that you think I don’t want to hear, or is causing you to worry,” or “Tell me about a mistake you made in the past few weeks and what you did to resolve it.”  

People generally want to tell the facts, the truth, their fears, or their concerns. However, they worry about the conflict more than their desire to share. If you create an environment were sharing the truth, no matter how challenging, isn’t a conflict, but an opportunity to build a better team, then these conversations will happen regularly and often.  

The truth speeds up a business. It creates freedom and relieves stress. Exercise truth telling like anything else you want to be a good skill.  

The goal of AoD is to build better leaders who run better companies and change the world. Getting to the truth starts in good 1-on-1 meetings. If you’d like a copy of our 1-on-1 Guide, purchase your copy of Adapt or Die here and then go to adaptordie.com/assets to get started. I hope it helps you to have better conversations!