CHAMBER NEWS & VIEWS: Truth is easier to remember

Lynne Conlan is executive director of the South Hillsborough Chamber of Commerce. Call her at 813-634-5111, or email lynne@southhillschamber.com. As we get closer to Christmas, parents and grandparent resort to a little trickery to get their little ones to behave. We all know that Santa sees you when you’re sleeping and knows when you’re awake. But he also knows when you’ve been bad or good. Yikes, he’s everywhere. Then there’s his buddy, the Elf on the Shelf, who eerily watches kids all day and reports back to the North Pole every night. There is no escape!
I wish I could use Santa and the Elf in my daily life. I can handle a lot of things, but lies push me over the cliff. We get them every day. The doctor will be right with you. That used car you want to buy has never been in an accident. The check’s in the mail. Bottom line, the truth is easier to remember cuz it actually happened. But some research says that “white” lies are okay.
According to the Journal of Experimental Psychology, there are several instances when a white lie is for the best. These experts believe white lies are okay if they are well-intentioned and don’t have any long-term consequences. Do you like your friend’s new shoes? Yes, is always the correct answer. They also recommend you consider the timing of your white lie. If asked your opinion when the person involved cannot change the outcome of a situation, a white lie won’t hurt anything.
Sometimes, if I‘m asked a question that involves a judgment call, I’ll ask the other person if they want the truth or a lie. Always helps me make up my mind. Shawne Duperon, a communications consultant in Detroit, claims, “Don’t lie if the person is likely to find out the truth. There’s nothing worse than you saying, ‘Oh yeah, I love your proposal,’ then four others on the team at work give constructive criticism with authentic feedback that takes the document up a notch.”
But I always prefer to stand on the carpet and tell the truth when I mess up. At a previous sales job, I did something wrong – don’t even remember what it was. It was not a fire-able offense, but management called a staff meeting to tell the entire team that we should never do it again. They also said they would never be able to figure out who did it. Just don’t do it again.
All around me I heard my co-workers whispering, “ I didn’t do it, but they are going to assume it’s me. They say they can’t figure it out, but I know I’m a target.” I raised my hand. The big boss asked me what I wanted. I said, “I did it. And I will never do it again.”
The meeting ended abruptly, and I was summoned into every manager’s office and was ordered to report to Human Resources. They all said pretty much the same thing: “We told you we would never be able to figure out who did it, so why did you step up?” My answer was the same to one and all. “Someone does know the truth – me!”
So, while Santa and that Elf aren’t with me every day to rat anyone out, please always tell me the truth. Let me know what you think. Anything that’s for the good of the chamber, I want to hear it. Except when it comes to my hair or my shoes. Please always say you like them. That’s a white lie I am willing to accept.