The Urgency of Truth in the Era of Alternative Facts

[by Howard Fencl, Hennes Communications]

I don’t want to use the “T” word in this post – there are far too many hand-wringers out there opining about White House bombast and its daily Twitter fusillade.

Here’s a “T” word that’s far more important: Truth.

What’s happening to it? News anchors and reporters recoiled in horror when White House counselor KellyAnne Conway dropped the term “alternative facts” on “Meet the Press” regarding reports of less-than-record-breaking attendance at last month’s inauguration. And, of course, social media did what social media does: knee-jerked and piled on with screaming, pious outrage.

But why?

“Alternative facts” have been around forever. Maybe they’re knocking around in your own organization. Maybe you’re guilty of using alternative facts yourself. Except the term, historically, has been sanitized as “spin.” Sometimes, they’re called “sins of omission.” More pejoratively, we call them “lies.”

If spin is part of your culture, your success is at risk. Your personal credibility is at risk. Your organization is at risk. You may be able to spin your company’s story and get away with it for a while. But when an issue rears its ugly head or a crisis erupts, you won’t be able to hide behind “alternative facts” for long. Here are three compelling reasons why:

• You will lose your internal allies

Your staff members have keen BS detectors. If spin is baked into your company’s culture, employees already know it. If you try to gloss over a crisis by spinning your way through it, that may be a tipping point. Someone will call you out on social media no matter what your policy is (it’s easy to create fake identities on social platforms, whip up a hateful hashtag, and blast away). Someone will leak internal email to the media. The truth – the real one – will always reveal itself.

If you commit to making truth the thread that ties your culture together and you transparently communicate with employees and seek their input, you will create a staff of willing ambassadors you can mobilize when crisis strikes.

• You will lose your personal credibility

You’ve already lost your personal credibility with your internal audiences if you’ve lied to them. Are you also prepared to lose your credibility with external audiences – such as your most important customers? Your referral sources? Community leadership and lobbyists?

Make truth your personal brand. Demonstrate, every day, that you walk the talk.

• You will lose your customers

Would you buy a used car from a lying salesman?  If you lie about one issue, the perception that you lie about everything in your business dealings will quickly become pervasive. Spin will ultimately impact your bottom line. Need an example? One word: Theranos.

The bottom line: the more the new administration tries to mainstream “alternative facts,” the more important it becomes to resist the temptation to spin. Tell the truth. Tell it all. Tell it first. Tell it fast – then tell it again and again to the people whose opinions matter most.