I appreciate being treated like an adult
I may be young (relatively, though some days I don’t feel like it), but I don’t like being talked down to. I’m a resilient person so I like hearing the truth, no matter how painful. I’d rather have a clear understanding of a situation and be momentarily freaked out, than be confused or work under a false sense of security. Here are two recent examples of how the company’s management have done the right thing and been completely upfront with me (and other associates of course):
1. We had a tough year last year and this year is still a little shaky. Our cost to do business went up 400-500% since last year. OUCH. Fortunately, the company didn’t have all their eggs in one basket, and even though it was touch and go there for a bit, they are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
2. Due to the need to help reduce overall costs, they are centralizing more of the HR functions to the main office and have had to let some staff go. What about me? I’m safe, but only because my boss needs me to handle the things locally he doesn’t have time to do anymore since he manages multiple offices.
These are not comforting revelations by any means, and I know some leaders are tempted to try to sugar-coat bad news in order to make people feel better. Trust me, it doesn’t work. People see right through those attempts, sometimes even if leaders outright lie, and they will not respect you for it. It is a leader’s job to convey the message clearly and, if possible, leave their people with some hope. Sometimes you need to rip the band-aid off to prevent more pain later.
