There's Spinach on Your Teeth

A true friend will tell you the ugly truth, not a pretty lie.  Does this principle hold in a workplace? 

Colleagues chatter about each other, a staple of office culture often dubbed "water cooler" talk.   Yet, when such conversations veer into backbiting without the intention of addressing the issue directly or offering support, it becomes toxic office gossip.  Nobody likes gossip.

Ever found spinach stuck in your teeth during a meeting but nobody told you?  I have.  Beyond embarrassment, I felt frustrated.  Why didn't anyone tell me? Because it takes courage to point out such flaws. 

Once, I had to gather the courage to address a staff member's bad breath. Why? I found myself rushing through our conversations instead of providing adequate coaching for the project at hand. His bad breath also became a water cooler topic creating an unhealthy office culture.

It would have been hurtful if I had simply blurted out, "you have bad breath." If it existed back then, I could’ve referred to Netflix’s Emmy nominated reality show “Mind Your Manners” for the right approach.

Instead, I formulated the message around flossing as preventive oral hygiene and its impact on the company's insurance claims. Years later, he acknowledged the underlying message and thanked me for making him aware.

In the boardroom, it takes courage to raise topics and avoid the "group-think" trap.

A startup founder once described his unproductive board meetings as "being scolded by a grandfather four times a year."

A board director needs to strike a delicate balance between challenge, feedback, and guidance. My esteemed board colleagues summed it up well: "Elaine, you adeptly tackle difficult topics, deliver them with a smile, and consistently offer suggestions."

Have you ever experienced a "spinach on your teeth" moment?