Hiding versus communicating

“I’m going to be late.”
“I accidentally broke this.”
“We’ll miss the project deadline.”

Things happen.

Sometimes, our instinct is to hide. To put off telling the truth to the people it will impact.

This might buy us a little time — perhaps a false sense of peace. But it only delays reality. And it does nothing for others.

Communicate. Err on the side of overcommunicating.

Some people develop the skill of artfully concealing disappointing news. But it’s far more useful to develop the skill of addressing uncomfortable truths.

If the choice is between practicing hiding and practicing sharing uncomfortable truth, choose the latter.