Five Fatal Communication FlawsSample

Five Fatal Communication Flaws-Part I

Once, while working at a client’s office, I overheard the bookkeeper tell the business owner, Bob, that one of their vendors wanted to discuss their past due invoice. Bob said, “Tell him the check’s in the mail. That’ll buy us a couple of days.”

To Bob this lie probably seemed like a necessity of survival, but to me, the bookkeeper, and eventually to the vendor, it was a lie that undermined Bob’s credibility from that point forward. It also set the tone in Bob’s business for lying to become acceptable for his entire staff!

Proverbs 21:6 teaches, “A fortune made by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.”

Leading with lies gives permission for all employees to lie. Truth is a better long-term communication strategy than lying.

Questions for Reflection:

• Have you ever caught a coworker or boss in a lie? What was your reaction?
• Have you ever lied at work, thinking it was "no big deal" or inconsequential? What was the outcome?
• Some people have an easier time lying than others. How about you? Is it hard for you to lie, or has lying become a habit?