Humans…all people in general are relationship oriented. We build relationships based on trust and personal contact, and we live and die on the strength of relationships. That this is the case serves as a convincing argument for telling the occasional white social lie…and against telling any other kind of lie. Here are a few examples I feel I have gathered to support this theory:

“Boy, this is a really nice office. I sure wish I worked in a place like this.” (The truth of the matter is the office we work in easily prevails the other person’s.)

No big deal. Some of us find it easier to make contact with somebody by finding something like this to mention as an ice breaker. What’s the problem if there is a slight exaggeration on a point like this? Even if the person should somehow learn the terrible truth that you work in a spectacular office, is there any real downside to such a statement made tactfully, and without any overbearing flourishes? No.

“And about the completion time you are requesting. I don’t see any reason why we should have any problems meeting that, though I will have to clear it with the programmers and technicians after we square away the paperwork here today.” (Actually, I know in full that I will miss the requested completion date by a week or two no matter who or what I say to the other professionals that are involved.)

Red light!! We are attempting to build a new relationship with a potential client by deliberately misrepresenting out ability to solve their problem to his or hers satisfaction. When things go awry later on…and nine out of ten times in a situation like this…the prospect is not going to remember the cute little disclaimer we slid in there about running things by the others involved. He or she is going to remember that you said that you could deliver the product on the specified date, and the “blankety blank blank” thing didn’t make it into the warehouse until the fifteenth. At this stage, we will no longer be identified as a “problem solver”. We will be looked at as a problem: a professional that promises more than can be delivered. This is not the stuff that builds lasting relationships.