I once knew a man who was a pathological liar. He would consistently and conveniently, mangle, twist and distort the truth without care or regard of being caught in his own web of lies. As you can well imagine, the result of his behavior was a decided lack of trust among employees and clients alike.

I use him as an example of what not to do. Because as obvious as it may sound, you need to have trust and integrity within your company in order to successfully affect a corporate culture of change.  In this month’s Wood & Wood Products magazine’s Management Matters column, Tom Dossenbach states that owners must become “employers of choice” if they want to successfully change the corporate culture. He says, “ In order to have a culture of change throughout your company, each and every one of your employees or associates must enjoy working with you and want to stay. In other words, you must be their employer of choice — and not by necessity because they need a paycheck next week. “

Dossenbach cites the Rotary Four-Way Test for employers to use in becoming— and remaining — an employer of choice. So as you communicate with your employees and set the course for your company, first ask yourself:
Is what you’re telling them the truth?
Is it fair to all concerned?
Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

These are questions we should all keep in mind, and apply them not only in the workplace, but in our daily lives as well.