Telling the truth at work pays

“If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.”

                                                                                                        ― Mark Twain

Today, the issue of workplace ethics has become one of great importance. Discussed at various forums, it is concerned with exercising choices at workplace that eventually benefit an employee. These are like the Ten Commandments. Quite a few people regard workplace ethics as a private affair, but that is not so. Adhering to ethical conduct manifests your uprightness, honesty and honourableness. So, is any violation worth it?

Telling the truth is not always an easy matter. Sealing your lips or choosing not to speak up about a subject of which you have knowledge could be seemingly a better option in some instances – at least from a short term perspective. But the fact remains that the truth has not been spoken when it had to be. If you make it a rule to tell the truth at work, the advantages that will accrue to you will far exceed the short-term ones of telling lies, including white lies. More often than not, the benefits of telling the truth at work are obvious only when you have deliberated on the unexpressed another possibility of having come to be known as a person who fibs and hence cannot be relied upon.

When you tell the truth, your aim should be to sway others in an encouraging manner. You should understand that the connotation and implication of truth varies from person to person; and hence your very approach towards telling the truth has to be very considerate. You have to be tactful and therefore, declarative assertions involving use of second person speech should be avoided so that you convey whatever you intend to convey without offending anybody.   However, the fact is that by telling the truth, you always stand to gain. Some distinct advantages that accrue to you are:

· You earn a good name: When you tell the truth at work, you validate your stanchness to honesty. And honesty is invariably held in high regard by everybody, particularly the management of your company. It may happen that some people do not react favourably to individual articulations of scrupulousness, but nevertheless they hold them in high esteem and always bear them in mind when dealing with you. If in a particular situation, you are unable to convince others that whatever you are saying is the truth, they will be prompted to believe you because of your previous instances. And this comes in very helpful when somebody doles out an allegation at you, provided you have a reputation of telling the truth and the other person has a contrary one.

· You nurture good bonds: One of the most important feature of an enduring relationship is telling the truth – be it at or outside the workplace. This particular attribute has to be complemented by other attributes, notable being forbearance, empathy and flexibility. It is only after a substructure of honesty has been created between you and your colleagues, that you can expect your team to function as a cohesive setup. Till then, it will remain an assortment of different persons inclined to keep back information from being shared. You thus infuse your company with effectiveness and value; and in the process make your work a pleasurable experience. 

· You motivate others to be honest too: Honesty is not always the best policy, but is an important leadership trait too. You cannot inspire others to tell the truth if you yourself indulge in falsehoods, fabrications and mendacities. You have to set a personal example and irrespective of the post you hold or the seniority you enjoy, you must encourage the practice of telling the truth. A large majority of employees do not speak up as they apprehensive of coming into limelight. They do not perhaps understand that telling the truth is invariably an unfettering and emancipating encounter. But if they find you leading the way, there is no reason why will not follow you.

· You improve your productivity: Any attempt to not tell the truth or hide it can impair your competence and productivity. Telling the truth is not about trivial matters alone. It is also about giving frank opinions and honest feedback on strategies, policies and programmes. When you refrain from frankness and candidness, it amounts to concealing facts that matter; and can affect the long-term growth prospects of your company. And when that happens, doesn’t your productivity take a downward plunge?

At any workplace, great reliance is placed on what others say and imply. In essence, that is the basis of all functioning. Telling the truth is a very significant component of workplace ethics. This is primarily because workplace ethics as a tenet counts heavily on authentic interactions and dealings between employees at all levels. Telling the truth facilitates the generation of a correct work atmosphere. The practice has numerous explicit upbeat angles attached to it, the most important being that you do not have to prepare or think twice to tell the truth. And remember that three things cannot hide for long - the moon, the sun and the truth. So, why evade it?”