Pinocchio and the Pencil Pushers

Pinocchio and the Pencil Pushers Integrity is a quality managers and corporate leaders need to have. But in reality, 35.4 percent ofcompany leadership tells at least one white lieper day. PER DAYSurprisingly enough, managers arent lying to their employees, but to their supervisors. Which means, if you manage a team, you might be on the receiving end of these lies. Its even more disappointing that employees often see their managers as having poor moral ethicsan astonishing 80.1 percent. This is not the kind of leadership we want to have. Even when it is a small, seemingly insignificant lie, lying is toxic in the workplace. But how to prevent it, or perhaps just offset the damage? Here are four quick ideas to help you keep an office worthy of Honest AbeDont leave room for liesInstead of telling an employee how great they are and how valued their work is with superfluous words, use metrics.Set measur able objectives to show employees what their work is truly worth. This saves managers from the temptation of using phrases that dont always match the employee. Most employees dont fit the youre one of our best employees, good job, or heres your raise category. Keep in mind that employees want to help achieve company objectives, but many dont know what those are. Be as transparent as possible and close every feedback loop.Recognize that omission is part of the aufgabeDeception in the office goes beyond blatant lies. Say Joe processed an insurance claim. He accidentally mixed up some numbers, was aware of the mistake, but didnt say anything. If he doesnt get caught, what does it matter?Lying by omissionperpetuates the habit. It doesnt seem like a true lie, however. Allowing another person to come to the wrong conclusion without correction is just as big of a problem as blatantly lying. Again, transparency in reporting can solve this issue, at least in part. Look to 360 reviews and don t forget to positively motivate those who arent hiding part of the story.Pick your battlesWhile roughly 1 out of 3 of allemployees tell one white lie at least once per day, that doesnt make the habit any less of a problem. However, management should learn that a one-size-fits-all strategy may simply alienate workers. Instead, focus on lies that directly affect performance or other members of the team. Even when confrontation is difficult, it is important to point out unacceptable behavior, as allowing one person to lie continuously can propagate the behavior. Implementing an intranet with few closed groups can help this behavior. Another idea? Make team goals (and fulfillment) available across the enterprise to avoid confusion.Build in AccountabilityIt is easy to lie about a project or a deadline when no one is accountable. If no one is responsible for it, who will speak up for it? Setting a good accountability policy will place a standard on management and employees alike. It will ensure everyone holds to the same policies. It is a team effort to hold each other accountable for corporate actions. Encourage your employees to keep accountablefor their own work bynotlage covering up mistakes Own up to mistakes. If mistakes happened, they will not stay hidden in the long run. Encourage this by not overreacting when someone makes an honest mistake. Instead, use it as a teachable moment.Not blaming others Again,own up to mistakes.Dont put them on someone else. This not only creates for a hostile work environment, it makes others distrustful. Leaders can ensure this doesnt happen by asking employees to show their work, this generally reveals the guilty party.Do more than the minimum Some employees barely meet requirements. Get all team members on board with consistent process improvement. Some will scoff, others will rise to the challenge, more will want to at least keep up with the higher bar set.Meet expectations Its an adult environment. The workplace is no l onger about good try, or youll get em next time comments. Employees either meet expectations or they dont. While its important to praise employees for a job well done (gratitude is especially effective) an effective leader will not sugarcoat a poorly executed plan.Pinpointing PinocchioWhat needs to happen when someone deliberately lies in the workplace? If it is a habitual tendency, management needs to address the issue. Lying in the workplace can greatly depreciate the environment for employees and the quality of work. The bigger the lie, the bigger the problem they all need attention. There arethree options in dealing with a liar. An employee can confront the liar, report them, or ignore the lies. The latter option is toxic for the workplace.