There is was an interesting article this past month in Business Week about why so many people lie at work in the name of making the company better. If we are being honest, most of us have lied somewhere along the line. Studies show that the average American tells 1-2 lies a day and most often at work. We do it to cover out butts if we have forgotten to make a call, send an email or are late for an appointment. Sometimes it just makes us feel better.
“Most workplace lies aren’t actually antibusiness,” says David Shulman, associate professor at Lafayette College and author of From Hire to Liar: The Role of Deception in the Workplace. “They’re really in the interest of getting the job done.”
I find that the problem is not the little or initial lies. It is what happens as that gray line is crossed. It usually “the coverup, not the initial misbehavior”, that gets people in the biggest trouble. So in small business, it is not really these lies, but where do they actually lead.
What is worst, every employee is following your example. Your actions build the culture they all follow.
