One of my very good friends is Harriet Meth, co-founder of Core Ideas Communication, a company that works with some of the largest global companies to refine how and what they communicate and manage issues that hit them.

As an Emmy awarding winning TV news and documentary producer, Harriet’s unique art is that of putting truth and facts in the context of a story that touches on human values, emotions, and aspirations, all of which are sorely lacking in how businesses communicate with their various constituencies. She recognizes that trust is granted to a company over a long period of time and taken away in the blink of an eye so in many ways her professional practice, while focused on corporate communications, is really all about helping companies build durable brand value.

I have known Harriet for over 12 years now and trust her implicitly, professionally and personally; it’s hard for me to overstate how much Harriet has influenced me so I was thrilled when she told me she had started a blog (I’m working on getting her on Twitter). Bookmark it, comment on the posts and take advantage of the knowledge she is giving away for free!

And then there’s the ongoing questions about Apple. The blogosphere and press continue to have a field day analyzing whether the company has disclosed the real story about Steve Jobs’ health. Maybe Apple has fully disclosed, maybe they haven’t. But even the specter of doubt can corrode the trust people put in what you say.

There is, however, another factor that can slowly erode the state of your “truthiness”: setting your corporate expectations so high they are unrealistic.

[From Messaged To Deaf]