I used to be a news junkie. It started when I was a kid watching Walter Cronkite deliver the evening news, which always ended with this iconic phrase: “And that’s the way it is.” I never questioned the news; I just learned from it. I continued my news junkie ways as I got older, starting with the newspaper in the morning, various newsfeeds during the day, and maybe a news program or two at night.
The other day, I was watching one of those news programs at night with the goal of learning information on a particular issue. What drew me to the program was not just the topic, but the wide array of guests. There were four so-called experts on the particular issue that I was interested in. I was hoping this bi-partisan panel of experts would help me to better understand the subject at hand. Each seemed well-informed and passionate about his or her beliefs. By all accounts, it appeared to be my lucky day!
Unfortunately, my expectations were way too high, and that only led to how disappointed I became. On cue, each expert on the panel provided a rehearsed opinion. Each opinion represented the political party of that expert, and was always followed by a disagreement by the other experts. I wound up being more confused and longing for someone who could just provide a true, informed, unbiased opinion. I wound up missing Tim Russert.
Do you remember Tim Russert? Tim was an American television journalist and lawyer who appeared for more than 16 years as the longest-serving moderator of NBC’s Meet the Press. He was innovative, (he actually coined the term, “red states and blue states,”) he was a prolific writer, but to me, I’ll remember him for one thing above all others: Tim told the truth. On this point he never wavered. As a matter of fact, when it came to speaking his truth, Tim was so unwavering that if I held an opinion, and he held a different opinion, I would honestly and carefully reexamine my opinion. How refreshing is that!
Never wavering: Isn’t that what the truth is all about? The truth isn’t about picking your spots to be truthful, or finding a loophole with which to be truthful. It’s also not about being truthful when it’s convenient, or to further a corporate or political cause. Being truthful takes work, consistency, and time.
The truth doesn’t need to be crafted to fit a particular audience. Imagine if we did that with our clients. Who would you rather work with: A person who only takes a position in which his or her opinion, idea, or product is the perfect solution, or one who has the integrity to always tell you the truth? Being truthful in business means having the courage to tell you when that opinion, idea, or product isn’t the right solution for you.
The sun has set on Tim Russert, but I hate to think the sun has set on the truth. Rather than try to continue to convince you how important the truth is, I’ll take the easy way out and appeal to your sense of greed:
Your clients aren’t looking to hear from a company shill; your clients are looking to hear the truth which will ultimately translate into a long-term relationship for you both.
Tim Russert passed away seventeen years ago, and I find myself missing him now more than ever. The truth seems to have left with him, but it doesn’t have to be that way. We just have to remember that the truth is not something we can morally negotiate with. Doing so may create short-term gains, but ultimately creates a lack of trust that can never be repaired. It’s just not worth it.
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