How to Win Credibility in an era of Trust Deficit?

How to become successful at telling the truth and tabling

brutal facts and still win friends and influences people?

Despite the quantum leap in scientific expeditions like the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM),

it is still very hard to succeed in business by talking straight. We do know that business is a

lot simpler than rocket science.We spend fortunes on Big Data and still find people shying

away from taking decisions.  A traceable, transparent and openly democratic culture of

information sharing should aid the decentralised real-time decision support system to

enhance performance management right?

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When Fernando Bartolomé, revealed that Review, ‘Nobody Trusts the Boss Completely—Now What?,’ (https://hbr.org/1989/03/nobody-trusts-the-boss-completely-now-what ) I wondered why should it

be so hard to speak to the truth to the powers that be?

‘Pooch Pooch management’, coined famous by Sharu Ranganekar, revealed the

Indian style of decision making through series of consultations before it was

approved with near unanimity. 

The Ringi system adopted by Japanese are no different because there again the ideas would travel up the chain of command before being

returned with an approval. Every culture had its own unique way of conveying the truth. If it was Shakespearean to utter the truth half in jest, we had the Akbar and the Birbal stories, metaphors, skits and the grapevine to activate a game of as

Chinese whispers until it went public. 

Successful managers are astute and socially intelligent. Tactfully, they sift the fact from the

emotions so as to protect the self esteem of the recipient as she comes to terms with reality.  When simple truth is conveyed with abundant sensitivity,

it fosters the trust in relationships and helps the recipient stay objective. While the Eastern methods

may appear seemingly inefficient, they are more effective in the long run when compared to the inelegant way of brutal honesty perfected in the

West.

First, test the palatability of the content before it is delivered to them. If the

audience feel appreciated, smarter and gain enhanced self respect by knowing what they don’t, they would be ready for me. 

Next, they will find the energy to listen and feel encouraged to do something about it.

Having successfully overcome their skepticism and inhibitions, they may be

ready to act on their own.

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Contact Shekarsan thought catalyst, executive coach and management consultant. Shekarsan can be reached at shekar@shekarsan.comor by

phone at 91 44 4350 2000 Or mail using the contact page in www.shekarsan.com  

About Shekarsan LLP: Shekar aims to promote strategic thinking and viable execution, for

Multinational companies and owner promoted, family owned small and medium enterprises. Shekar is a transformational thinker and avid

advocate of ‘Customer Centricity’ that he championed as a Director for Xerox, GE Capital

and Citibank.

Contact Person: Shekar Rangarajan Business Address: 3A, Prasantham,141,

St. Mary's road, Alwarpet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu - 600018, India.

Business Phone : +91 9884074802Business Email : rshekar@mac.com

Business Website: http://www.shekarsan.com/