Even now, honesty is the best policy

Most people remember the point in Disney’s Bambi where the lovable fawn’s mother is killed by hunters. For my own mother it was a childhood experience so harrowing that when we first sat down to watch the movie together, she did her best to distract me as the shocking event approached. On the face of it, it was an entirely admirable thing to do. We all want to protect those we care about. Unvarnished reality can often be upsetting, even in children’s movies.

No one needs to be told that times are tough right now. We’re experiencing record levels of unemployment and even previously bulletproof industries are slashing headcounts with little warning. Employees everywhere are justifiably concerned about what the future holds and it falls to HR to reassure them. But the temptation to gloss over difficult truths must be resisted at all costs. Most HR professionals presumably try to hire bright and competent people. If you attempt to sell these people the line that everything is fine when it isn’t, your credibility could quickly go the way of the economy. Trust remains one of the most valuable commodities leaders possess. Once it is eroded, it is very difficult to rebuild.

Additionally, if HR leaders fail to step in and tell people what is really going on, the rumor mill will take up the slack. News that travels over this unofficial network has the uncomfortable tendency to mutate and multiply, branching out into a huge range of scenarios that often have little connection with reality. This wild speculation further unsettles a workforce that is already racked with uncertainty. In our current situation, organizations need to be getting the best out of their people in order to stay competitive. Employees who live in constant fear that the Sword of Damocles is hanging over their heads are unlikely to be giving 100 percent.

I recently watched Steven Spielberg’s ET with my young niece. Like my mother’s memories of Bambi, I recalled the scene where the titular alien seemingly died as being almost impossibly upsetting. But rather than attempt to distract my niece, I just let her take it in. While I’d be lying if I said she wasn’t a little taken aback by what she saw, any long-term impact was imperceptible. If anything, the temporary discomfort only made the film’s conclusion that much more uplifting. The lesson is clear. It is far better to confront unpleasant realities head on than attempt to brush them under the carpet.