Recently, a client confided that she tends to present green project dashboards. Green means everything is moving forward, as expected. In taking her all-green, all-good approach, she fails to share the full reality. She wants to present an image of one who is able to handle big challenges.

As we continued talking, the realization dawned on her that without an ongoing and accurate picture of the whole, management will be surprised, and disappointed, when reality hits and results are not as expected. She also realized that in presenting a more realistic picture of the greens, yellows and reds, she would be better positioned to make necessary course corrections, and ask for and receive needed resources and support, all with the goal of making initiatives she leads truly successful.

Sharing the whole truth, struggles and all, opens up opportunities for others to join in and help us co-create real success.