Have the Courage to be Honest

When I was in journalism school, my professors often talked about communications and public relations like it was the devil's work. Their voices were laced with venom when they described "spin doctors" who wanted to mislead people, and trained powerful executives to tell lies and half truths to reporters. I remember the way their eyes narrowed when they warned me and my classmates about how these people wanted nothing more than to manipulate us to get access to our platform for their own propaganda.

And you know what? They weren't entirely wrong to be suspicious. Sometimes it seems easier to weave around the truth than face it head on. My late university days and early career days were marked by hearing terms such as "enhanced interrogation techniques" and "shock and awe" when government officials talked about torture and bombings. Being honest is hard. Being honest when you're wrong is even harder. Now try being honest in public; that takes some bravery.

What I've also learned after almost 15 years in the supposedly evil world of public relations is that honesty is both difficult and doable. And when you do it carefully and consistently, it makes all your communication flow more smoothly.

Transparency and authenticity are on the verge of becoming meaningless buzzwords, but like synergy and paradigm before them, they will remain important ideals even after we've overused and abused them. They are important for governments, individuals, and businesses whether you're dealing with everyday issues, trying to grow and expand, or working through a crisis. (Bonus tip: Most communication principles are almost universally applicable, because we are always talking to other people.)

Important things aren't always easy, and honesty in communication is no different. It requires courage and vulnerability, because it involves risk. It almost always involves admitting you were wrong at some point in the process, which is scary, but absolutely necessary.

The beauty of honest communication—especially when you admit you were wrong—is that you instantly become more credible. It's hard to trust a perfectly polished image, so when we allow people to see our mistakes, we show that they are getting the truth. The truth, even when it's ugly, helps us gain trust on both sides.

Yes, trust is a two-way street. If you want people to trust you, then you need to trust them too. I've seen this lack of trust in the audience spill out into poor communication more times than I can count—especially in internal communication and stakeholder relations.

People want to wait until they have all the answers, or a fully formed plan before they say anything about it. But remember: when there is a vacuum of information, people will start making up their own stories, and then you'll be wasting time quashing the false information before you can even get to telling them the truth—and making them trust you enough to believe it.

Being honest all the way through is a much more efficient use of your time. Yes, you'll have to admit you don't know things sometimes. You'll absolutely have to admit being wrong about things. But you will build trust and credibility. When you anticipate and answer questions proactively, you avoid having to combat rumours—today and in the future. (Because once people suspect you're hiding or lying about one thing, their imaginations can start to run wild as they consider all the other things you may be lying about.)

In good times and in bad, it takes courage to be honest, but I promise you that it's the best choice in business and in life.