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Can you be honest?

by CJ Bowker on January 20, 2010

When a friend asks your opinion about something do you tell them the truth?  What about a spouse?

I don’t mean the ‘how do I look in this’ question but I mean serious questions.  Your spouse does something that upsets you, presumably without realizing it.  Do you let them know your upset?  Or do you worry about how they feel?  Now it’s a friend.  Does that change things?

Who are you truly honest with…

  • your spouse?
  • your family?
  • your friends?
  • your clients?
  • your prospects?
  • yourself?

You know you are about to upset a prospect.  This could be a great deal.  There’s a lot of money at stake.  Can you still be honest?  Can you look them in the eye and tell them the truth?

In your business, what’s more important to you, that your clients/prospects respect you or like you?

Do you tell your clients/prospects what they want to hear or need to hear?

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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }

Rick Roberge January 21, 2010 at 12:15 pm

Why do you ask?
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CJ Bowker January 22, 2010 at 10:34 am

Well ask yourself what you are trying to accomplish. I’m wondering if honesty will help you accomplish that? Will it help you build or grow a relationship? Will it change someone’s perception of you?

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John January 27, 2010 at 5:57 pm

I guess you have to tailor it to the person sometimes. People can handle certain things better than others and it is not always important for everyone to know all the details. There are certain lines not to be crossed though, as far as basic human honesty.
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CJ Bowker January 27, 2010 at 8:06 pm

John, you make a good point. The context of the situation definitely changes things. I think in general people are too nice to be honest. This creates a problem in a lot of situations. In business and it a lot of personal relationships, you can get a lot farther faster by being truthful. Maybe I need to do a follow up post on how to properly be honest. The way you frame the truth can change the way it is perceived.

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