“When you want to help people, you tell them the truth. When you want to help yourself, you tell them what they want to hear.” – Thomas Sowell

I hold “courageous communication” as an essential team value.  Sowell’s quote here may be as simple of an explanation as I’ve seen.

“Courageous communication” is the truth.

It needs to be known.  By bringing it to the surface the team will get better.  Problems will be solved. Progress will be made.  Opportunities will come about.

Telling people what they want to hear rather than the truth, causes problems to worsen.  Issues fester.  They grow beneath the surface only to erupt later with more pus, leaving a bigger scar.  We think people can’t handle the truth, but they do.  They must.

Courageous communication is trusting the truth.  Saying it.  Wisely.  With compassion.  With the best result in mind.