“Liar, liar, pants on fire!” Perhaps you remember this childhood taunt. It was innocent enough - maybe directed toward a foe during a playground squabble or when you caught one of your siblings in a white lie. All relatively harmless stuff.

Your parents likely instilled in you the importance of telling the truth. And although growing up you probably stretched it a time or two, chances are nobody suffered any real harm. A no-brainer, right? Well, some adults have forgotten this simple message.

We’ve all heard of Worldcom, Enron and the many others being investigated for falsified business dealings. The most blatant cases get publicized. But what about subtle dishonesty and deception amongst everyday business people? Where do we draw the line?

I wonder if we’ve created a business culture where deception, half-truths or outright lying is the only way we can now prevail - with our peers, employees and our customers. Has this become “business as usual?” (more…)