Good morning everyone.
I wholeheartedly agree with Mr. Peterson’s perspective on truth and honesty. But, in many aspects of our life this level of ethical behavior is not only discouraged, it will actually be used against you. Consider for a moment how we have gotten to where we are now, with politicians, both North and South of the border, who behave as if it is okay to lie or shade the truth.
In business, there is also a limiting factor to truth and honesty that likely connected with the politics within that hierarchy. For example, imagine trying to work with a senior manager or a business owner who has a very rigid view on the future. Their adherence and tenacious nature likely has helped the business grow to the point it is at now, yet with changing times and more competitors it may become apparent but the business has to change. At what point exactly, to be precise as possible as often suggested by Mr. Peterson, should truth and honesty be relayed to the executive? And of course, in business there are many different ways to interpret past data and project your beliefs into future predictions. So are your projections into the future actually truths?
In my experience, because of our constant attention to future needs, the value of truth and facts become suspect when you strategize about the future. So what should we do about that?
Therefore, perhaps it might be useful for the community to discuss how truth and honesty can be used more effectively in hierarchies that tend towards corruption.
Sincerely,
Mike