J.F.Kennedy stated that the enemy of truth is not the deliberate lie but the myth that no longer reflects reality. A company myth may be a belief that is built up more on the basis of wishful thinking than upon a factual analysis. Many such unrealistic myths are embedded in the corporate culture and form part of the ideology of the organization. Their transmission from old-timer to newcomer gives them a ring of authenticity unchecked by changing times.

• All our customers love us.
• We are best in rapid delivery [or quality of product][or first to market].
• We are the industry leaders.
• We know our customers.
• We give personalized service to each customer.
• We help our customers succeed with their customers.

You could probably add other specific myths that pervade the corridors of your company.

• The strengths and weaknesses of our organization practices.
• How our practices compare with those of the competition and with 'best practices'.
• The progress of our organization capabilities toward continuous improvement.
• The commitment of our employees to company success.
• The gap between intended strategy and actual strategy.
• The overall status of the company as a higher-performing, agile, learning organization.

One way of 'speaking truth to the powers that be' uses feedback from the field to minimize the defensiveness of the recipient of the information. The 'facts' should be organized and presented in such a way as to speak for themselves. The messenger joins the boss in interpreting the feedback.

For example, your boss may claim that the company's prime strategy is creating customer loyalty. You believe that the company is really oriented to cost cutting. You organize a survey of customer opinions of the company practices relating to such matters as quality, delivery, and customized service. The survey should articulate the voices of the customers.

When customers' opinions converge with one another, the consensus validates the information. When there are divergences of perception, each opinion should be understood in light of that customer's experience. It is more important for you and your boss to use these differences as an opportunity to reflect on and try to make sense of the results. A dialogue about why various customers perceive the company practices differently may serve to unfreeze mindsets and pave the way for a more realistic awareness of the situation.

Most managers can readily recognize how much truth their boss can take. They put a 'spin' on their reports so as to minimize criticism of their work. These same managers often fail to notice that they may be similarly encouraging their subordinates to cover their tracks. You may feel that you can't do much to change your boss' openness to reality, but you can certainly do a lot to influence the behavior of your subordinates.

The benefit of 'speaking truth to power' lies in the creation of an intangible asset - company agility. One can only build a strategically responsive organization when all managers function in the above manner. Sustained competitive advantage for any firm depends upon flexible responses to change. An internal culture of openness to an emerging, dynamic reality is the best guarantee of success.