VizualBusiness: Truth over harmony

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Truth over harmony

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Tweet this: New @onpm post by @PGopalan: Truth over harmony http://wp.me/pXBON-3ff #culture #truth #trust
A few days back I hired someone for a short term project. Before the start of the project we met a couple of times where we discussed the requirements, what assistance I was needing and how the expert I was hiring could help me.
A few days later, this person sent me a report that was four pages long and an invoice for the time worked on the report. At this stage we had not even started the actual project and here I was staring at a bill. I knew she had worked hard and spent time on the project, but the work was not what I really needed or what I communicated. I wanted to hire this person and get the project done, but also make it clear that I was not happy with the preliminary report which I felt wasn’t even necessary to start the project.
So I sent her an email that I would pay the full invoice amount and hire for the whole project, but that I was not happy with work I had not asked for. I got an email back from her that she would not charge me for the report and was happy to go forward with the work as originally intended. She said she prefers Truth over harmony. I paid her the full invoice amount.
This was the first time I came across that phrase. I googled and found it is widely used in business partnerships and parenting. I loved it. The concept is simple. If we pursue truth, harmony will follow. If we pursue harmony, truth isn’t guaranteed. In fact, often we see “status quo”, “work around”, “evolutionary approach”, “slow grinding”, “beating down”, “win-win”, and various other strategies as the direct outcome of ignoring truth over harmony.
So here’s my question. How often are you able to pursue truth over harmony at work?
- Prabhakar
Tweet this: New @onpm post by @PGopalan: Truth over harmony http://wp.me/pXBON-3ff #culture #truth #trust
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