Let people judge your actions, not question your integrity

Our last blog entry garnered quite a bit of attention, at least from a large group of peers aware of its inspiration. At first I thought people were shocked because it contained profanity (sorry!), but further investigation tells me people were actually revelling in its directness, and the fact that I published it on my company website.

I’d hope by now this is what you’ve come to expect from me and from Pivot. It is, after all, what Pivot is all about – direct, transparent and honest communication, even (especially) when it’s hard. So if you don’t want that kind of advice or support, please don’t call me, because I can’t in good conscience work with you.

But back to the blog. Yes, there is a back story; there ALWAYS is. In this case, it’s pretty universal. Corporations, or in some cases the people who lead them, sometimes lack courage or conviction in their decisions. They’re okay making them, but they’re less comfortable defending them. So they spin them. I hate spin.

I’m a bit of an evangelist when it comes to truth in advertising, and I’ve learned the hard way that if you can’t do it because it’s the right thing to do, do it because the risk of NOT doing it is too high.

By being square, honest and true, especially when the message sucks, people judge your actions: they may hate that you fired Chachi, that you reorganized the department, that you discontinued a cherished brand. But they appreciate your honesty.

When you shroud your actions in spin, you give them good reason to question your integrity too. And good luck recovering from that.

~Mel