What Else Will You Lie About?

Well, that's not a very nice question to start the week!  It comes to mind because of that "funk" I was talking about in a recent post.

Every decision made results in some consequence, good or bad.  We choose our paths based on the best information we have for the best possible outcome. Choosing one option automatically dismisses all others and a new path has begun.

A brief search reveals that an average adult makes between 5,000 and 35,000 decisions each day. Whoa, I'm exhausted!

For our purposes today, we'll speak only of decisions affecting personal and business relationships. (That might not narrow the field much. I'll have to think about that.)

Today's post title was taken directly from Seth Godin's blog of the same name.  It will take you about 33 seconds to read and basically asks businesses is it better to tell a small lie or just be honest?  Go ahead.  Click the link.  I'll wait.
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Visual Hunt

I was faced with a decision that was similar. Should a corporate website indicate that it supports a variety of charities when in fact, it does not?  The explanation given for this 'discrepency' was, "Well, they're near and dear to our heart.  And, nonprofits appreciate any exposure they can get."

It was time to make another decision.  I could accept and rationalize the given explanation and continue onward or I could say, "That's wrong.  I won't do it."  Now then, since every decision has consequences, what will be effect on the relationships involved here?


Will the decision impact the company and its profit?  How will the decision affect the company's relationship with its customers, clients and employees?  What will happen to my relationship with the company and my immediate supervisor?

What would you do?

I mentioned that we make decisions based on the best information available for the best outcome. That appears to be grossly over-simplified.  The best outcome?  OK.  But, for whom, exactly?

Recently, I came across an exercise to help us think about these choices; what they mean to us and what they mean to others.  The questions (and I'm sure you can think of many which you've experienced personally) graphically point out that we are faced with multiple decisions that could seriously affect our personal relationships, our business relationships and even the core of who we are.

How would you handle:

• Selling a product that is okay in moderation, but one you know many of your customers tend to overuse?
• Selling a premium product or forcing an upgrade in order to achieve higher profit margins all the while knowing that the lesser product is more than adequate?
• Blaming a supplier or other external problem when you can't deliver in order to keep a customer?
• Backing a coworkers' lie or exaggeration during a customer meeting to gain sales?
• Highlighting a colleague's weaknesses or taking credit for group work when competing for a promotion?
• Loading end of quarter sales figures in order to obtain a bonus?
• Backing union demands even when you don't agree; not advocating for other stakeholders in negotiations to keep the peace with colleagues?
• Creating legislation and policies that could make life harder for the 'least of these' but will keep leaders happy?
• Publishing a Press Release that deflects company liability for something they should own?

Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another. 

Leviticus 19:11

Oh, and here's something that caught my attention the other day.
What comments might you have regarding something called 'Alternative Facts'?   Oh my.