Absolute Honesty: Building a Corporate Culture That Values Straight Talk and Rewards Integrity

I enjoyed reading this book because anyone can relate to it. There are always "real" stories in each chapter which is an excellent way to describe what the writers are trying to emphasis. "Absolute Honesty" is also a wonderful book for women. Many times women find themselves in situations where they want to be honest, but are extremely uncomfortable or fear they won't be listened to. "Absolute Honesty" has great ideas on how to approach people allowing them to be sincere without the fear.

Recent corporate scandals have shaken confidence in leadership and the ethical underpinnings of the business world. Without significant change, we risk increasing problems in the years ahead. It's time for leaders to step forth, declare a commitment to ethical performance, and set the example."Absolute Honesty" tells it like it is, and like it must be. Johnson and Phillips, management consultants who have been inside and seen how things work, have produced a powerful tool. This easy-to-read book emphasizes that no one argues against corporate integrity, but some executives need support on HOW to apply the principles. Readers of "Absolute Honesty" will learn how to build the right kind of cultural infrastructure.The authors argue that too many companies adhere to what they call "the Kumbaya Syndrome---embrace all decisions, no matter how stupid or unethical; smile and sing the company campfire song." It's too easy to just go along, and confronting or fighting superiors or The System is frowned upon. The alternative is to apply their Six Laws of Absolute Honesty: Tell the Truth, Tackle the Problems, Disagree and Commit, Welcome the Truth, Reward the Messenger, and Build a Platform of Integrity. A chapter on each of the laws explains what needs to be done, with effective supporting material including advice, anecdotes, and a style that makes the whole process comfortable and acceptable. The book is organized into three parts. The first part, The Challenge, includes chapters on The Naked Truth and A Culture of Absolute Honesty. These 52 pages set the stage nicely for the rest of the book. Part 2 presents the Six Laws, with engaging detail. Part 3 is aptly entitled "Where Do We Go from Here?" The final two chapters discuss building an ethical infrastructure and Key Points to Help Your Implementation Efforts. Lots of good, practical advice here. The book concludes with Notes and a good index. You'll find this book to be a disarmingly fast read. There's a personal sort of feeling that draws the reader into the subject and keeps the flow moving. This book is one you'll keep in your office-for reference and to send a message to all who enter.

Absolute Honesty is not a book for the faint of heart. It takes courage to bring integrity to work. It takes commitment to long term, sustainable success to build a corporate culture founded on honesty. If you value this kind of courage and commitment, this is the book for you. It is practical, with loads of examples of what it takes to be honest at work, the obstacles that prevent us from being honest, and tips for overcoming these obstacles. These stories and examples come from genuine organization experience - no irrelevant academic theories here. The Six Laws of Absolute Honesty are a clear and compelling distillation of a complex bundle of information, and the last chapter on implementation is solid and helpful (and too often missing from corporate culture books).And - especially rare in books of this genre - it is very well written. Practically a page turner! Following a year in which Time magazine's "persons" of the year were whistle blowers who risked their careers and reputations to tell the truth, this is a timely and important book. Strongly recommended for everyone who cares about ethics in the workplace.

Finally a book that takes the black magic out of organizational development. Beautifully written. Easy to read. A must for HR professionals and executives who are trying to create an organization capable of thriving in turbulent times. Absolute Honesty pulls together the various concepts and processes needed to define and drive an enabling business culture. It then provides a road map for discovering the cultural attributes need in a given business, communicating the expected attitudes and behaviors, and ultimately walking the talk.

This book should become a classic for not only Business Professionals but all Professionals. The authors outline a set of simple rules for effective interaction and expand on these topics with a fine set of examples from their consulting practices. The fact that there will always be conflict in organizations in which staff are effectively placed on the basis of their aggressiveness and their mode of data analysis (gut feeling versus hard data) is an extremely powerful tool that will allow managers to filter communication effectively. Also the authors found that the "win win algorithm" so poplar with modern managers does little for the organization and should be abandon.