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The Emperor's New
Clothes
by Val Hastings,
Clergy Coach
In the story The Emperor's New Clothes no one
wanted to tell the Emperor the truth. Even though the Emperor
wasn't wearing any clothes, everyone pretended that things were
just fine. When the Emperor finally discovered the truth he was
shocked, embarrassed and angry. In addition, I believe that the
Emperor was PUZZLED. Why do I suggest that the Emperor was
PUZZLED? He was puzzled at the fact that no one was willing
to tell the truth!
The Emperor (the identified leader) had
created a climate in which truth telling was discouraged
and avoided at all costs. The end result was that (almost)
everyone ignored the obvious! In their book, Leading High
Impact Teams, Cynder Niemela and Rachael Lewis assert
that a successful team leader "Seeks truthful feedback to
continually grow and develop as a leader." and "Listens
fully to what others have to say, and encourages truthful
self-expression." (p.59)
If you would like to avoid experiences like
the Emperor in this story, consider the following questions:
-
On a scale from 1 to 10 (10=we tell the
truth all the time, 1=no one ever tells the truth), how
would you rate the level of truth-telling in your
organization?
-
Why do you think most people in your
organization refrain from truth telling? What's the pay off?
-
What steps could you take to foster a
safer climate for truth telling?
Here are a couple of quick tips:
-
Do your best to make communication a 2-way
street. Ask questions. Listen. Try not to be defensive. Hear
what's really being said.
-
Pay attention to your "gut instinct". In
the Emperor's New Clothes the people weren't the only ones
avoiding the obvious. At some level the Emperor knew
something wasn't right.
-
Find ways to discover the WORD ON THE
STREET. Provide opportunities for feedback.
-
Reward Truth Telling! As hard as it
might be, affirm people's willingness to go-out-on-a-limb.
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