In Search of the Truth
By Ric Shriver
Have you ever found yourself asking or being asked “are you for real – are these results for real?” When we interact with people who are demonstrating, promoting, and conveying impressive results, particularly if they are attempting to influence us to take some action in their favor, we may find ourselves asking that question. As human beings we seek the truth and authenticity! Unfortunately, we are living in a world that is seeing increasingly more deception.
I recently observed someone I know conveying the results of a project they had worked on which, from my perspective, had been a total waste of time and money. Those impacted by this project have told me directly that there was very low perceived value in the outcome of the project, yet what was being conveyed by this individual was just the opposite. From their perspective, the project had been a huge success as demonstrated by the time, money, and resources expended and the impressive number of people supposedly impacted. It just wasn’t true, yet this person was receiving accolades for the outstanding effort! It was a classic example of “form over substance!” The charts, slides, and graphs all looked impressive, but nothing was being said about the impact on human behavior or critical metrics for the business.
Growing up in the Midwest I would hear the expression “the proof is in the pudding” used frequently when confronted with whether a planned effort would be worth the investment of time and money being requested. The expression was a representation of a strong cultural value that favored real results versus an exaggerated and inflated focus on the activities and means being deployed for often questionable results. As leaders, we are regularly faced with decisions about the deployment of resources that will have a real and positive impact on the metrics that reflect our degree of value to our organizations. If what we are spending our time and resources on is not driving the outcomes our customers, clients, and other key stakeholders in the organization are needing and expecting, then those efforts, as impressive as they may look, are misguided and “fake.”
As a nation we are facing a perilous crossroads, one which we had to confront but one which is forcing us as a nation to make some painful choices. Our economy has been on a collision course with disaster, a course which would ultimately lead to bankruptcy, loss of employment, unimaginable supply shortages, and most likely civil unrest. For too many years our politicians (on both sides of the isle!) were lauding large investments of time and financial resources to pursue ideological, untested goals and outcomes without any real proof of positive impact or results. Trillions of dollars have been wasted on activities and programs which have contributed to runaway inflation, a devalued dollar, loss of employment, and a diminished balance of trade with the rest of the industrialized world. As a nation, we have lost credibility and stature as a respected and positive global power. Yet, as decisions and actions are now being made to correct these wasted efforts and expenses, we are hearing a large outcry from many of the nation’s populus that the financial and psychological pain is too much to bear.
When, as human beings, we make conscious decisions to confront and deal with patterns of behavior, past decisions, or conditions that are not sustainable, there will be pain. Ask those who have successfully recovered from life-threatening addictions if they experienced pain when they started down the path of recovery. If realistic expectations are not made, if social and emotional support is not secured, and if the ultimate goals and positive outcomes are not regularly reinforced, we can too easily “fall off the wagon” and find ourselves continuing the path of self-destruction which we have been on.
That is why today I am convinced, now more than ever, that we must “get real” as individuals, with our teams, in our businesses, and as a nation to focus on real, relevant, and meaningful results. The quick “shiny object” sugar fixes that we are too often distracted by must be ignored and replaced with real, authentic, and practical actions and initiatives that produce tangible, relevant, and valuable results for the customers, clients, and stakeholders of our organizations. The desire to be real and seek meaningful results requires discipline, a holistic approach to managing our lives and businesses, and the support and involvement of our friends, families, teams, and our organizations.
Are You For Real…or a Fake?
You’re a Fake if you… You’re Real When you…
Lie about your results Demonstrate meaningful results
Mistake effort and resources spent for real results Show effective use of resources for results achieved
Use hyperbole to gaslight contrary opinions Support your results with relevant facts
Sugar-coat your contributions Secure truthful testimonies from those impacted
Choose form over substance Give full credit to your contributors
To read more about holistic, objective approaches to strong organizational performance, I encourage the reader to secure a copy of our book Leadership Whack-A-Mole: Actionable Strategies for Leadership Challenges!
