Many business owners have adopted the maxim of “honesty is the best policy” for their business. Putting honesty at the center of your business can be challenging. You need to be committed to transparency, truthfulness, and ethical practices, even when it might be easier to cut corners or make decisions behind closed doors. But honesty can be an important tool to building a strong collaborative working environment, and putting your best face forward to employees and customers alike.
What it Means to Put Honesty at the Center of Your Business
Honesty in the workplace means committing to truthfulness and transparency in everything you do, internally and externally. You need to put an intentional focus on the way you communicate with customers and employees alike. By removing unnecessary secrecy, evasive language, and misleading information from your decision-making procedures and marketing practices, you can improve your employees’ working environment, and create a clear projection of your company’s values to your potential customers.
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Honest Communication is at the Heart of a Healthy Workplace
If you are interested in developing a collaborative working environment where your employees are actively engaged in the work of the business, you need to create policies that foster honest communication in the office. Invite your employees to engage in constructive communication and open collaboration, even when it means voicing dissent. This means modeling receiving these statements in positive ways, and encouraging your employees to be honest, without being brutal.
Problems with organizational dysfunction often come down to problems with trust and communication. Employees may silence their opinions or avoid raising disputes out of fear that they could face resistance, or even termination if they rock the boat. Adopting a policy of honest communication builds trust between the members of your team, and allows them to trust their supervisors and the business as a whole.
Balancing Honesty and Marketing Priorities
In many industries, marketing is everything. The way you communicate with your potential customers can set the tone for your entire working relationship. In developing your brand, you may be inclined to polish the rough edges off your company’s persona to make the sale. But if you cut too many corners, you could cross the line into unethical or deceptive tactics. If you are putting honesty at the center of your business, that means finding authentic ways to convey your business’s truth.
There are many ways to adopt creative communication that remains honest. To do so, you need to start by getting to the heart of what your company stands for, and then find creative ways to communicate that core idea to the world. By honestly communicating your company’s priorities, products, and practices, you can improve your brand image and reputation, and attract the best kind of customers.
How to Put Honesty Front and Center at Work
Putting honesty at the center of your business is not always easy, but it is a struggle worth the work. If you are committing to honesty and authenticity, here are some techniques you can use internally and in your customer communications.
Develop a Strong Company Code of Ethics
Your company value statements and internal policies need to clearly convey your commitment to honesty and accuracy. Adopt policies against misrepresentations and be prepared to enforce them. Your team and your potential customers need to know that the statements coming from company, business owners, and managers are true and honest every time.
Provide Communication Training to Employees
In order to foster honest communication, you may need to train your employees to communicate – especially in conveying negative information or criticism – in ways that are clear, respectful, and empathetic. These forms of emotional intelligence are key to opening the paths of healthy collaboration on your team. It also establishes a strong foundation for outward-facing communication.
Model Honest Communication at the Top
For honesty to be at the center of your business, it has to flow from the top down. Too often, business owners expect honesty and candor from their employees without giving them the same respect. There are times when a company needs to maintain secrecy to protect the company’s brand integrity, or while investigating and disciplining employees. But you need to clearly communicate those limits so your employees know there are reasons behind the choices being made.
Prioritize Accuracy in Customer Communications
Your customers have a right to know what to expect if they hire your business or buy your product. Prioritize a customer focus, making accurate information available to customers in easy and accessible ways. When challenges arise, make it a priority to be honest about the process, and any obstacles your company has faced. By prioritizing accuracy and honesty, you can reduce conflict, improve business practices, and build credibility for years to come.
David Stanislaw is a leadership and executive coach with over 30 years’ experience helping managers and business owners put their values at the center of their business. Contact us to meet with David and start prioritizing honesty today.
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