"I don't like that man. I must get to know him better."
- Abraham Lincoln
#8 – Do not lie or give false testimony to employees, co-workers, customers, or your employer.
In 1967 the I35W bridge opened for business to commuters in the Minneapolis metro region of Minnesota. The bridge was designed as a truss arch bridge and spanned for roughly one-half mile. With a total of 8 lanes, it carried more than 140,000 vehicles a day, making it Minnesota’s third busiest bridge. On August 1, 2007, during rush hour, disaster struck when the central span of the bridge suddenly collapsed into the Mississippi river along with 111 vehicles and taking the lives of 13 people.
Construction on the bridge began in 1964 and took only 3 years to complete. However, due to a design error, that was determined after the disaster, it only took seconds for it to collapse. The rise and fall of trust in relationships is very similar to the I35 bridge collapse. It took 3 years to build the bridge and it served its purpose for 40 years. However, its collapse took place in seconds.
Being dishonest or giving false testimony in any relationship is a principle that all of us are aware should not happen. In fact, 90% of children know what lying is by the time they are 4 years old (Zauderer, 2023). By the time all of us reach adulthood the average person will lie at least four times a day. Most of those lies are trivial in nature but still have the capacity to erode trust.
All of us have lied at some point in our lives and all of us will most likely tell a lie again in the future. The main thing to keep in mind is that, based on the severity of the false truth, irreparable harm can occur that can have lasting effects. The largest damage done is through gossiping about others. The reason for this is because when a person gossips about another it is normally a bit of information that has already cycled through a couple of individuals. By the time it gets to you the truth has been distorted by the perceptions of those relaying it. The sad thing about this type of false testimony is that it is sometimes not done with the true intent of hurting another person, however, the person being gossiped about will be hurt directly or indirectly depending on the circumstance.
Gossip causes harm in personal relationships as well as our professional ones.
First, gossip will erode trust. Negative gossip will slowly erode trust in other people and trust in yourself. Remember, he who gossips to you, gossips about you, or so the saying goes.
Low morale in the workplace will also take place as gossip continues. Granted, all work environments have a rumor mill, however, when that mill becomes the primary sources of influence is when irreparable harm can occur. In addition to the issue of morale, turnover rates will increase as negativity and backbiting increase.
Productivity will also be impacted due to trust issues within a team environment. Gossip and false truths will erode trust to the point where employees will worry about self-preservation in a company rather than achieving great things for it.
Nobody wants their character challenged or hurt, however, false testimony about another person is just that, character assassination. It's an attempt to kill another person's character at the expense of making yourself look good. It's like pushing someone in front of train to save your own skin.
As mentioned, this commandment is crucial to trust remaining intact. Here are some helpful suggestions when dealing with lies in the workplace.
First, don’t take any part in it. If you don’t know the whole story don’t comment on it. It’s better to not say anything at all than to contribute to a fire that’s already raging
If you are suspicious of a person lying, talk to him/her about it. It is better to clear the air than hold a grudge. If you let anger set in, you are just as in the wrong as the person who lied to you. Also, you may gain some respect by confronting the issue. However, avoid calling the person a liar. You will most likely damage the relationship even further if you do.
Always keep your side of the road clean. Don’t try and clean up someone else’s mess when your mess is hanging out there for all to see. Clean your side up and then lend a hand in helping the other person. Matthew 7:5 says, “take the speck out of your own eye, then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye” (ESV, 2023).
Lastly, be a lover of truth. Seek to ask people questions to better understand them as individuals. You will learn something more and may even save a friendship. Abraham Lincoln said, “I don’t like that man. I must get to know him better.” Lean in to others, especially those that embellish stories (Indeed, 2022).
Bridges can easily be burned, and they are harder to erect than to tear down. Be mindful of your actions and how you communicate. Stay clear of story embellishments and other types of half-truths that can easily erode trust. Above all, be honest in your relationships with your employer, family, and friends.