“Today, our focus is on effective communication and breaking down barriers,” I add. “Let’s start with an icebreaker.”
John comes up and stands beside me. His presence immediately reassures me. “We call this game Two Truths and a Lie. Everyone will share three statements about themselves. Two should be true, and one should be false. The group guesses which is the lie.”
The collective groan from the audience is resounding, but I press on. “I’ll go first to demonstrate. One: I once won a hot-dog eating contest. Two: I’m deathly afraid of butterflies. Three: I have a cat named Powerfluff.”
The room buzzes with speculation. Finally, Mark from IT pipes up. “The hot dog contest has to be the lie. There’s no way you could eat that much.”
Others nod as if Mark has picked the lie.
Shaking my head, I pat my stomach. “Actually, that one’s true. I did that in college, and I still regret it.”
Laughter ripples through the room, and some tension dissipates. That’s progress, so I press on. “The lie was about being afraid of butterflies. Though, I’m not particularly fond of moths.”
I shiver for effect, and that brings a few more laughs.
As we move through the exercise, everyone loosens up. Even Sarah smiles when we learn quiet, unassuming Dave from HR used to be in a punk rock band.
When John’s turn comes around, he clears his throat. “Okay, here goes. One: I’m colorblind. Two: I once accidentally set my kitchen on fire trying to make pasta. Three: My family owns this company.”
The room falls silent. Finally, Lisa from marketing speaks up. “The company one has to be the lie, right? I mean, we’d know if that were true.”
Everyone else except me nods.
John shakes his head, a wry smile on his face. “Actually, that’s true. My maternal grandfather founded the company, though I don’t advertise it.”
A deafening silence follows. Everyone’s faces are shocked. A few people whisper to the person sitting next to them.
Satisfaction flows through me. I shouldn’t gloat, but a part of me is pleased by my coworkers’ reactions. I hope this teaches them a lesson.
Sarah stands, her face flushed. “Are you some sort of undercover boss like on that TV show?”
“Not at all,” John says. “I earned my position on my own merits, not because of my family.”
I step up, sensing the need to redirect. “The point of this exercise isn’t only to share surprising facts about ourselves. We wanted to show there’s more to a person than what you see. We all have pasts and even present situations that shape who we are, and jumping to conclusions about someone without knowing the full picture can lead to…misunderstandings.”
The room goes quiet again, and people exchange glances and whispers.
“That explains why the betting pool on when Abby gets fired is off, huh?” Dave from HR speaks up.
“Yes, but isn’t that something HR should’ve put a stop to if they knew about it?” John asks.
Dave turns red. “Uh, I… Yes.”
At least that’s something, but I need to say more. “Just so everyone is clear, I knew about that bet, and it hurt. I considered many of you friends. But I’ve been applying for other jobs.”
Silence and shamed looks fill the room. Most stare at their laps or the ground. No one meets my eyes.
“No one wins the pool if I quit,” I add.
Laughter erupts. Even I laugh, though I’m still hurt at the reminder of how some people see me by dating John.
“I hope you all didn’t lose too much money on that one,” John says. “But I would’ve assumed this office was more professional and would know how wrong a bet like that is, especially when Abby is the top financial consultant at the firm. Do you think her clients will stay with us if she leaves?”
The laughter and smiles stop.
“I won’t tolerate bullying of Abby or anyone at this office,” John adds. “I realize I’ve been unapproachable, and that’s why Iwant to do the town hall and suggestion box in case you aren’t ready to discuss issues with me one on one. But please know I have an open-door policy now, and you can always come talk to me about work or interpersonal issues, because I don’t wantanyonefeeling uncomfortable here.”
People glance at each other with surprised expressions. I’m shocked, too, but I’m also filled with pride. I had no idea John would say all that, but I see he wants to learn and change to be the best boss possible. I look at him to see he’s staring at me. I smile and wish I could hug him, but that can come later.
