Square One Consulting

White Only

I have one word for all of you politically correct social activists out there whose hair stood on edge when you saw the above sign, RELAX! You are jumping to conclusions. Worse than that you are stereotyping. You are making assumptions based upon emotions, not facts - reality. This sign is not what you think.

I grew up in the Old South and I’ve seen similar signs hanging in windows of retail stores, clubs, and doctor’s offices. These were wrong.

WHITE ONLY, however, could also be the healthiest way to eat an egg, my favorite order of Popeye’s Fried Chicken (Hot and Spicy), or the choice of dress shirts available to men working for IBM and Safeco Insurance Company in the 1970s.

Actually for the purposes of this article, WHITE ONLY has a greater significance than your taste in food, dress codes, and even societal issues of equality, today we’re talking about LIES or the absence of them – HONESTY and INTEGRITY! As a civilization what lies (if any) are we willing to accept? WHITE ONLY? Define WHITE.

From the legend of George Washington and his famous “I cannot tell a lie” dialogue with his father, to the facial distress inflicted upon Pinocchio, to many parents admonition to their children – “don’t lie to me”, lying is not accepted in our culture.

Confront a friend (or God forbid an enemy) with the accusation of being a liar, and be prepared for:

1. Loss of a friend
2. A fight
3. A detailed explanation of circumstances (spin)
4. All of the above.

We know lying is wrong. We don’t do it. We don’t condone it. Our society requires honesty. And when as a society, we must resolve conflicts peacefully (ours is a civilized society), we enter a court room and swear on a bible to “tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help me God.” We are about the rule of law.

Now scroll down to the end of this article and take the attached Pop Quiz..

Now that you’ve been tested, do you feel as strongly about the “wrongness” of lying or the importance of telling the truth? Do you still believe you are an honest person? Do you always tell the truth (so help you God)? IS WHITE ONLY ACCEPTABLE?

© Square One Consulting (July 2002)

If you are like the majority of the people who’ve taken this Quiz, you are a little more humble, somewhat embarrassed, and very uncomfortable with this journey of self-discovery. Here are a few more observations on Lies, Integrity, Relationships, etc.:

As a teenager in the 60’s my generation was the “hippies”. We said, “don’t trust anyone over 30” and “if it feels good, do it!” Simultaneously we promoted a less judgmental society that said, “there’s no right or wrong.” We were sincere, enthusiastic, and unfortunately wrong. There are right and wrong.
Early last week the headline in USA Today (July 16, 2002) read, TRUST – Americans have great faith in each other but their trust in CEOs, Big Business, priests, and HMOs is slipping away. This speaks volumes about where we are.
Accountants and the anointed members of that fraternity – the CPAs, are moving lawyers, used car salesmen, and insurance people out of societies prestige dungeon. Some now perceive them as an “umpire that sold out.”
Enron, Arthur Anderson, World Com, Global Crossing, etc. are daily fodder for the talking heads on TV. How could they? They are nothing but a corrupt bunch of ______________ (fill in the word of your choice).

The vast majority of their employees and stockholders perceived that their companies’ valued creativity, conscientious efforts, capitalism, community, competition, etc. The “disconnect” was that the Boards, Leadership, and Watchdogs (Arthur Anderson) knew that the real values were – PROFIT AND PERKS AT ANY PRICE! This was not about fraud; it was about a misunderstanding of corporate values. After all there is no right or wrong.
When you work to build an organization (or work in an organization) – a family, a business, a church, club, etc. understand that VALUES are the foundation of the entity. Make sure that all understand the values and agree to abide by them. If you and the values don’t match up – leave. If someone else in the system can’t live these values invite (or make) them to leave. Without congruence in values the system cannot develop to its maximum potential and in all likelihood will self-destruct over time. Unmatched values are a lie.
Think back to a recent Super Bowl and the riot that followed at the home city of the winner or loser. Both events (the game and the riot) can be defined in the same words – violent, high intensity, dangerous, adrenaline driven, emotional, etc. The only difference was that the Game had boundaries, rules, regulations, and a system of referees to judge and enforce behavior. The riot was about a mob “doing it’s own thing” without restrictions, accountability, or consequences.
Ask yourself, where would we be today, if 2 ½ centuries ago when Mr. Washington asked, “Is George responsible for the Cherry Tree?” George had answered, “it depends upon what your definition of is is.” Would we today be teaching our children the importance of “spin” instead of honesty?
Finally, when your spouse asks, “do I look fat in this?” answer two questions –his / hers and is WHITE ONLY acceptable? – Liar!

Pop Quiz
For the purpose of this quiz, please utilize the following definition from Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary. Lie – 1 : to make an untrue statement with the intent to deceive 2 : to create a false or misleading impression.

1. Should people lie?

___ Yes ___ No (If you answer yes, go to question # 4)

2. If you answered no, are there exceptions to this rule?

___ Yes ___ No (If you answer yes, go to question # 4)

3. If you answered no, is it OK to lie about not lying?

___ Yes ___ No (If you answer yes, go to question # 4)

If you answered NO to all the above questions, turn in your exam. You made an “A”.

4. What lies should be allowed or acceptable?

___ White (little) lies ___ Important lies (to prevent trouble)

___ Lies about sex ___ Lies about personal matters

___ Lies to the IRS ___ Lies to insurance companies

4a. Only answer this question if you checked WHITE LIE in # 4 above – What are WHITE LIES?

___ Lies that keep from hurting people

___ Any lies that aren’t black (now define black)

___ Lies that the person lied to can’t discover are lies

5. When should we be able to lie?

___ Morning ___ Afternoon ___ Evening ___ Night
© Square One Consulting (July 2002)
6. Who should be able to lie?

___ Adults ___ Teenagers ___ Children
___ Business Owners ___ Leaders / Managers ___ Workers

___ Clergy / Teachers ___ Celebrities ___ Politicians

7. Where should we be able to lie?

___ Home ___ Work ___ Church

___ Golf Course ___ Sports Stadiums ___ School

8. What should be the consequences of lying?

___ Rewards ___ Punishments ___ None

9. What are the actual consequences of lying?

___ Rewards ___ Punishments ___ None

10. Is “spin” lying? If yes, why? If no, why not?

Essay Exam: You are the “boss”. Based upon your answers to the above questions, explain, in very brief terms, how you would address these issues:

An employee lies on his expense account more than you do.
The receptionist (and your mistress) is cheating on you and lying about it.
You know the Board Chair is sexually harassing an intern and lying about it.
Your employee is a pedophile and you allow him to supervise children.
You are pocketing cash (avoiding taxes) and you’ve just discovered that an employee is stealing from you.
You are a doctor and the patient’s condition is not covered by insurance, should you change the diagnosis to assure that an insurance company pays the claim?

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