7 lies you need to stop telling your employees today
We've all lied at some point in our life. Sometimes we lie to save face, while at other times we lie to not hurt the feelings of other people. However, entrepreneurs are part of the one group that should avoid stretching the truth too much. When entrepreneurs lie, they run the risk of losing the trust and respect of their team once their deceit is brought to light. Here are the top seven lies that all entrepreneurs tell their employees.
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Lie #1 – “We're on it.”
Entrepreneurs have a huge and ever-growing list of duties that their employees, investors, and stake-holders want them to accomplish. However, they can only do one thing at a time, and therefore, when they tell you that they are working on something you asked them to, they are probably putting you off until you drop it or forget about it.
Lie #2 – “We offer the best wages in the market.”
Let's get real. Salaries are the most sizeable cost incurred by all companies. It is for this reason that entrepreneurs keep your salary low enough to meet their earnings yet high enough to keep you working with them.
Lie #3 – “The change is temporary.”
Most often, when companies are going through a radical change, entrepreneurs themselves aren't aware if the change will stick or it's a passing phase. In such a scenario, they placate employees by telling them that the change is only temporary. However, if the change works in their favor, it will most likely become permanent.
Lie #4 – “We reward good performance.”
Most employees do a good job at the end of the day. If they weren't doing their work to their supervisor's satisfaction, the company wouldn't retain them. While entrepreneurs might give out small rewards every six months or annually, those rewards don't really commensurate with the efforts you put in.
Lie #5 – “We have no idea.”
A lot of entrepreneurs don't acknowledge questions or divulge details they aren't comfortable answering. They simply lie to their employees saying they have no clue about that particular project or situation. It's always better if they confess they can't give out certain details instead of deliberately acting clueless or fabricating false information.
Lie #6 – “The client is always right.”
Sometimes the client is misinformed or misguided. At other times, the demands the client makes just aren’t worth the employee's or the company's time. However, in a bid to appease the client at all costs, entrepreneurs will do anything it takes. This includes making employees work odd hours or getting them to rework their strategy from scratch.
Lie #7 – “We can't change company policy.”
All companies can make exceptions to their own rules. Entrepreneurs encourage 'thinking outside the box' when it comes to helping the company save or make more money, but when it comes to company policy for employees, they like to keep you trapped within the box.
Constantly making up tales to get your employees off your back will hinder your company's growth in the long run. It is therefore best to avoid these common lies or any other tactics of deceit if you want to see your company succeed.
