The Emperor's New Clothes was a favorite childhood story of mine.
It made me laugh. I couldn't believe that all those adults were standing
around, watching the emperor make a fool of himself and not telling him the
truth. When I grew up and went to work, I discovered it wasn't that easy.
In twenty years in management, I noticed the majority of people operating
like the Emperor's ministers. I saw people more concerned with personally
looking foolish, than venturing feedback; more concerned with what they
thought they should say, than saying what needed to be said; and more
concerned with figuring out what they thought the boss wanted to hear, than
offering their point of view. Luckily, there were exceptions. If you want
to be winning at working, find some of them.
In order to succeed, I needed people to stop me from being like the emperor
in the children's fable. I needed people willing to state the truth, at
least the truth as they saw it; people willing to push back, challenge, and
tell me things I may not have wanted, but needed, to hear. Now that I'm a
columnist, writer and speaker, my criterion remains the same. I need people
to tell me the truth when the truth needs telling, whether I ask or not.
I may not always like what they have to say, but I'm glad they said it. I
may not always take their advice, but I appreciate they offered it. And I
may not always agree with them, but I know to listen deeply and consider
it. I've been saved from countless mistakes, errors in judgments and blind
spots by these exceptional people offering their truth-telling gift.
They've helped me keep my balance, gain perspective and make decisions.
"Your idea is way off-base," she ventured. "It's not going to connect with
people." Words from a trusted colleague cautioned me to rethink an
important launch. In the end, she was right. It wasn't a good idea. Her
words saved me more than the certain embarrassment of a failed initiative.
Money, resources, and time were at stake, too.
If you want to be winning at working, look for people like this to help
you. You'll know them from their candor. They're the ones not working a
personal agenda who have your best interests at heart; the ones able to see
the big picture who are comfortable offering their no-strings attached
perspectives. They're the ones telling you the truth as they see it, who
are willing to pull you back from the edge or push you out of a do-loop.
I'm indebted to these people in my career.
My advice? Realize you need all the help you can get. Find a few
truth-telling people you can trust. I look for people who have courage and
forthrightness, like the child in Hans Christian Andersen's, The Emperor's
New Clothes. You see, if I'm out there without my clothes on, it's a sure
bet I want someone to tell me.
Sign up to receive Nan's free biweekly eColumn at www.winningatworking.com. Nan Russell has spent over twenty years in management, most recently with QVC as a Vice President. She has held leadership positions in Human Resource Development, Communication, Marketing and line Management. Nan has a B.A. from Stanford University and M.A. from the University of Michigan. Currently working on her first book, Winning at Working: 10 Lessons Shared, Nan is a writer, columnist, small business owner, and on-line instructor.Visit www.nanrussell.com or contact Nan at nan@nanrussell.com.
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