Be Honest Sometimes it's hard to tell the truth, but at work, honesty really is the best policy.

After spending over a decade training staff at numerouscompanies including American Express and Marriott, author andspeaker Steven Gaffney shares his research and observations inHonesty Works! Real-World Solutions to Common Problems at Work andHome. Here, he discusses how to achieve honesty.

Entrepreneur: Why is being honest at work sohard?

Steven Gaffney: The number-one reason I found people arenot upfront and actually withhold information and ideas is fear. Agood example is when a company needs to lay off employees orreorganize. Executives tend to withhold that information, and whenpeople find out the truth, they feel betrayed. Employees losemorale and momentum and reduce their productivity. Honestcommunication and not withholding information are not just nicethings--they're critical to success.