Work Reality May Bite, But Honesty Rules

There's no greater disservice to employees than trying to sell them a piece of fiction about the nature of their relationship with their employer.

Fact is, success at most organizations requires hard work done to demanding standards.  We in HR have to be careful that our efforts to attract and retain great employees don't cause our messages (either directly or through our programs) to disconnect from truth and reality.  This is the central point of Andrew O'Conner's thought-provoking Harvard Business Review post "Respect Employees: Be Tough on Them". 

From O'Conner's piece:

I'm a hearty fan of Bob Sutton, who has waged a one-man crusade against abusive bosses and companies, detailing the anxiety and depression they inflict. But the reality is that it doesn't take an abusive boss to make employees feel anxious and depressed. Sometimes all it takes is a relentless corporate focus on great results.

I wish it weren't so. We probably all wish it weren't so. But our wishes shouldn't delude us. While it's fine to provide a few foosball tables and organize a few company outings, it's not fine to pretend that employees come to work in order to have fun and be fulfilled. That fiction does them a disservice. They're here to do unremitting work, maybe for years on end, and the labor is going to take something out of them. And they may get laid off for their trouble.

I don't agree with O'Conner's point that nasty environments can bring out the best in us.  I've worked in a few nasty environments and can assure him that the experience didn't bring out my best work or greatest discretionary effort.

But I think his point on selling fiction about the nature of the work relationship is an important one.  Nothing wrong with fun, fulfillment or perks - but maybe our priority should be on creating work environments of truth, integrity and mutual respect ... and then ensuring that employees are rewarded well for the results they work to deliver.  Sometimes work isn't fun or fulfilling.  Sometimes it just needs to get done.

One of my favorite bosses ever once sat our consulting team down, ostensibly for the purpose of introducing the new performance management program, which sat on a platform of our new corporate values.  He clicked up a slide highlighting the new values and their definitions.  And then he said something like this:

I'm supposed to tell you that these new values are the foundation of how we will be managing and appraising work at our firm.  But is there anyone here who isn't 100% clear that it is all ultimately about your billable hours?  Yes?  Good.  Enough said.

He was right and he won my complete respect for being honest in the face of the fiction that corporate HR (presumably with the backing of our leadership team) was trying to foist on us.

The message to you and me?  Maybe this:  Be clear and truthful about the nature and demands of the work our organizations requires from their employees ... and then be sure that those employees are rewarded in a way that reflects the results they deliver and the challenges they must overcome to deliver them.

Honesty is priceless.  We deserve no less.

Comments

[E James (Jim) Brennan]

Lest we all be considered hopeless Pollyannas, let me point out the obvious self-interest angle to honesty. You can't buy trust: you can only earn it; but you can lose it in one act of dishonesty.

Years of fair play and open honest dealing can be completely demolished and utterly wasted by one act of betrayal.

[Ann Bares]

Jim:

Love that last line, a potent and well-phrased reminder. Have had to make that point to more than one client who was thoughtlessly dabbling in dangerous ground ... but don't think I ever said it so well. Thanks for the thought and the extra ammo.

[Steve]

Very thought provoking post, Ann. This would be "hopeless Pollyanna" checking in here. No question that "honesty rules". Integrity is at the foundation of not only work, but life itself. Yet I'm feeling a bit like I may have "bought the lie". Is having some fun at work and perhaps finding some fullfillment while serving the Company truly too much to aspire toward? I'd like to hear a debate between Andrew O'Conner and Carr Hagerman sometime...

[Jim aka Evil Skippy at Work]

Great article -- I think I hurt my neck from all the nodding that I was doing. I escaped from a law firm environment several years ago and I was always hoping that one magical day, one of the leaders would have simply admitted that it all boiled down to the billable hours. I could have respected that person. Clear expectations and honest leadership yield better results than terror or happy platitudes. (The day I decided to leave the law firm life was the day a senior partner said in a review, "You do great work, but you should spend more time on everything. We could have billed much more for this level of quality.")

[Ann Bares]

Steve:

Thanks for stopping by. Just noticing only now that my initial (and more timely) attempt to reply to your comment was apparently never published. Sorry - user error, I'm sure. Anyway, I'm not against fun and fulfillment at work, I'm just for truthfulness in the employment relationship. And against employers who pretend the bottom line isn't really important until the day that it really, really is and the rug is yanked out from under mis-informed employees. Or perhaps some of my own experiences have just left me a wee bit too cynical...

So, you'll be setting up that Andrew O'Conner and Carr Hagerman debate, yes? Perhaps a Compensation Force exclusive...

Jim:

Yes to clear expectations and honest leadership. Sounds like you and I have had similar experiences in "the land of billable hours". Thanks for sharing!