Truth at Work: The Science of Delivering Tough Messages

6

CREATE A WORD PICTURE

You’ve probably heard this story, but it bears retelling.

Once upon a time, there were six blind men living in a village, someplace where elephants roamed freely. Being blind, these guys had no idea what an elephant looked like, so the villagers told them, “Hey, go over there and you can touch the elephant.” They wandered over, and the first blind guy touched the elephant’s leg and said, “Dude, this thing is a pillar.” (He probably didn’t say “dude,” but you get the idea.) The second fellow touched the tail and said, “You’re nuts; it’s a rope.” The third man put his hands on the tusk and declared, “You guys are crazy; it’s a tree branch.” The fourth guy groped the elephant’s ear and exclaimed, “It’s a big floppy fan.” ...