Straight-shooters

I have become very weary of people who label themselves as “straight-shooters” or are proud of how they “just tell it like it is.”

These people, to me, don’t understand something that is very fundamental to business, friendship, leadership, and social interaction. Feelings, and personal perception DO matter – and matter very much. You will get much better results and closer relationships from your team, your friends, your family if you do take into account how someone might “feel” about a particular situation. Feel, after all, is just another word for perception.

Herb Kelleher of Southwest Airlines used to say often, “the business of business is people.” It wasn’t until I left Southwest that this really started to ring true. After leaving the “safe bubble” of Southwest, I saw that not everyone lived by this creed. That (for some) business was about “getting things done” at any cost.  And too many times, that cost meant not taking into account personalities, circumstances, and yes, feelings.

One of my favorite quotes, and a pattern I try to live by every day is by Maya Angelou. She said …

“People will forget what you do, and will forget what you say. But they will never forget how you made them feel.”

This is so true in business, leadership, and every other aspect of our lives.  I personally have seen it work, time after time, at getting better results out of your team, as well as instilling loyalty and trust. I have seen it patch up disagreements with friends and associates.  I have seen it turn a good team, who just “gets things done,” into a great team who leads by ideas and big thinking.

So, when you hear someone say “I’m just telling it like it is,” take a moment to decide if they actually know what “it” is, or do they just lack the skills to see it any other way but their own.