Telling white lies is one of the most common practices in the office, despite the fact that it’s a known problem in business communication skills.

It may be easier to tell a lie than to explain the cold, hard truth, but taking the easy way out isn’t going to help improve your ability to explain things to your team, nor their level of trust in you.

It has definitely happened to you– without thinking twice you tell a “white lie” to cover up for yourself or your peers. It is such a common occurrence that people twist the truth all the time and never even notice they’re doing it.

People think “white lies” are harmless, but business experts say these lies are anything but harmless.

Making a single, seemingly harmless lie can lead to more serious, complex, and harmful lies.

Sure, it was just a teensy omission of information, but chances are; you’ll have to tell another lie to keep up with the story.

The Long-Term Effect of White Lies on Your Business Communication Skills

A person who always gets away with lying is tempted to keep doing it until they end up telling really big lies that will harm them, their peers, clients, and even the entire business.

Continuous lying desensitizes people to other offenses and the feeling of guilt. As a leader, you must not set a standard that will allow white lies or encourage anything to that effect.

Here are a few tips to keep offices from falling prey to these seemingly harmless white lies:

#1: Always tell the truth

This one is obvious, but it bears repeating. Telling the truth isn’t always the most convenient and easiest thing to do, but you must create a culture of honesty in the workplace.

Lying may sometimes seem like the best option, but you need to think of the bigger picture and the serious implications it may cause you in the future.

#2: Be credible, don’t make false impressions.

Do not mislead people with false advertisements, exaggerated claims, or false impressions because these are as good as lies. Be honest and upfront at all times. Your business communication skills will be improved greatly by your candor, thus helping you build valuable relationships.

#3: Never ask a colleague to lie for you.

It’s bad enough that you are lying, don’t drag others to your wrongdoing. Never abuse your power and position by forcing people to twist stories or tell lies to cover up yourself or the business.

Obviously, don’t tell your staff to make adjustments to monthly reports or any type of data, however minor that is. Once you do this, you are indirectly giving others permission to lie to you. This can be very damaging to people and the organization.

#4: Never twist the truth.

Labeling lies as “white lies” to justify your actions isn’t going to do you any good. Don’t ever think that simple twists to stories and little exaggerations are acceptable and normal.

Remember lying is a major offense just as stealing is.

The best foundation of effective and successful business communication skills is honesty and integrity.

You can never expect your business to soar and grow if it is built upon lies, no matter how small.