Written by: Vickie Sullivan | April 30, 2019
How to Tell the Brutal Truth – and Not Sound Like a Jerk
A lot of us thought leaders have a reputation for telling it like it is. But how do you confront all the silliness you observe without coming off as an arrogant know-it-all?
This Forbes article is a great example of “telling the truth” about common myths without moving to the obnoxious zone. A couple of tactics we can copy:
• Address the story. Instead of correcting the assumption, the author drills down to correct the story behind the belief. She acknowledges the appeal and then takes a short trip to the dark side when noting what happens when we compare our journey to the story. This one-two punch tells the reader, “Hey, it’s perfectly understandable why you’d think that. You’re not an idiot.”
Listen: How to Correct a Mythical Story
• Acknowledge the appeal. Sure, the author could’ve stayed aspirational when explaining why we love the “overnight success” story. But she didn’t stop there. She went for broke by calling out those who use the story for “absolution.” A great example of calling the game many of us play when faced with failure. She earned that right with the tone set in the article.
Everyone knows that stories are strong tools. When we drill down on the stories we tell ourselves, we can bust bad behavior without making folks feel evil or stupid. When you take away the judgment, folks are more likely to give your “brutal truths” a fair hearing.
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