Build a culture of candor by expecting your people to be honest, to communicate openly and to treat people nicely
Lies in the workplace are expensive. According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, a typical organization loses five per cent of its revenue to fraud – a potential global loss of $3.5 trillion dollars. But the cost of out-and-out fraud pales in comparison to the monumental cost of the erosion of trust that occurs…
Too often, the truth can set you free – from jobs, relationships, money and social opportunities
The first thing to remember in this day of mass media saturation is that there are no great lies – if something is repeated often enough it becomes the truth. That being said, the ultimate great lie is that it is always better to tell the truth. There are needful lies; lies of omission, white…
The fact that a child lied is not the story. The fact that those in authority accepted, and publicized, an 11-year-old girl's story without checking the facts is
There have been stories of adults and children lying to the public about everything from getting robbed to being raped. The ruse Canadians just experienced could leave a bad taste in our mouths for some time. On Jan. 12, the Toronto Police Service’s Twitter feed reported an attack at Pauline Johnson Junior Public School by…
Most of the observable signs of lying (helping to spot a liar) are dependent on the liar feeling a negative emotional arousal and an uncomfortable sense of conflict
A short time after The Truth About Lies in the Workplace was published, I received this email: I had just begun reading your book, and had gotten to the part about body language signs that point to someone who is lying when I was confronted with a real life situation. A parcel (that was meant…
The best way of countering liars is to follow the old adage “trust, but verify”
Recognizing that we are being lied to is an important social and business skill. But surprisingly small factors about someone, – where we meet them, what they wear, what their voices sound like, whether their posture mimics ours, if they mention the names of people we know or admire – can enhance their credibility to…
Once upon a time, a news story wasn't news until a legitimate news outlet carried it. Now, if it’s on somebody’s Twitter feed it’s a news story
Trudeau continues to struggle with his facts, telling one part of the country one thing and another part something quite different
Post-truth nonsense about fossil fuels paints a dangerous, damaging and distorted picture of Canada's energy use and production
One of the unfortunate legacies of 2016 is the frequency of ‘post-truth’ communications. The term describes communications where objective facts are replaced by erroneous assertions aimed at creating emotion-based beliefs. Post-truth communications reached a peak during the American presidential campaign. But Canadians have also seen an escalation of post-truth communications, particularly in relation to energy.…