Charles finally made partner and propped his feet on the desk in his new corner office. He was dreaming of all the perks that accompanied his promotion when a knock on the door snapped him out of his reverie.

He picked up the phone so he would look busy as a young staffer came into the room. “I’ll be with you in a minute,” Charles mouthed to the employee, before engaging in a mock phone conversation.

“Yes, I know the congressman quite well. We go sailing with the governor every other week,” he said. He glanced over at the employee standing near his desk. “One more minute,” he whispered before returning to the phone call.

“I’d be happy to introduce you,” he continued. “In fact, if you’re free next Wednesday, we’re having lunch. Great. Wednesday it is,” he said as he hung up the phone.

“Thanks for being so patient,” Charles said to the young staffer. “Now how can I help you?”

The employee blushed and said, “I’m here to connect your phone.”

Try to tap dance out of that one!

I am convinced that often, the hardest language to speak is the truth. Sometimes it’s easier to tell an embellished truth, or a half-truth or a little white lie to save face or spare others’ feelings. But eventually, when the truth comes out, there are consequences.

Ron Ashkenas, co-author of the “Harvard Business Review Leader’s Handbook,” explains that there are three fundamental concerns that cause people to be less than completely truthful.

First, the impact of truth on yourself. “It’s human nature to want people to think well of us, particularly those who have influence over our lives and careers,” he writes. “At the same time, we all make mistakes, so we create justifications and excuses -- many of which are at best half-truths.”

Next, the impact of truth on others. “One way to gain others’ approval is to avoid pointing out things that may damage their self-image,” he continued.

Finally, the impact of truth on business success. “To be successful almost every organization needs to sell -- be it a product, a service, a story or a promise. But much of that selling is done without truthful disclosure of what it will take to fulfill the sale,” he maintains. “The wiser course in many cases is to limit the truth and figure out how to ‘deliver’ later.”

While his first two points are recognizable to most of us, I find his third concern very troubling. As a lifelong salesman and businessman, I cringe to think that a sale based on partial truth would be OK in any forum.

I certainly wouldn’t appreciate a supplier promising me a product without knowing exactly what I would be receiving, and I absolutely do not want a reputation that I didn’t deliver what I promised and then some.

But I understand that some businesses operate that way and do so at their own peril. Customers find out quickly that promises made and kept are worth their weight in gold. A tarnished reputation is mighty difficult to polish.

I constantly preach that trust is the most important word in business. Of course, the most important part of establishing trust is being truthful -- all the time, even when the truth is painful.

If we are not up-front with our customers at MackayMitchell Envelope Company as soon as a problem arises, whether it’s a supplier issue, equipment breakdown or a mistake with an order, we deserve to lose that customer. And I really, really hate to lose a customer. I’d rather lose money than lose a customer.

The good news is if we can find a way to fix a problem -- and we usually do -- our customers appreciate our honesty and efforts to turn lemons into lemonade. But that happens only when we tell the truth.

Abraham Lincoln once said of a man who was attacking him, “He’s the biggest liar in Washington.”

Honest Abe said the man reminded him of an old fisherman who had the reputation for stretching the truth. The fisherman bought a pair of scales and insisted on weighing every fish he caught in the presence of witnesses.

One day a doctor borrowed the fisherman’s scales to weigh a newborn baby. The baby weighed 47 pounds.

Now that’s what I call a whopper!

Mackay’s Moral: Even when the truth hurts, it’s more painful to hurt your reputation.

Two friends were talking about their aspirations. Both had spent several years at the same company, enjoyed the work and the culture, and made advancements in their careers.

One friend was surprised to hear that the other had recently turned down a big promotion. He asked, “Are you sure you made the right decision? A move like that could’ve put you on easy street. Those opportunities don’t come around often.”

“Most people would agree with you,” the friend replied. “But I have a different take on the matter. I believe there is more to life than having a fancy title or big paycheck.

“There’s a price to be paid for that corner office. Long hours, a lot of travel and expectations that would require sacrifices I’m not willing to make,” he said. “The truth of the matter is that I already have my dream job. The money is good, the work is fulfilling and the work–life balance allows me to always be home in time for dinner. "I’ve never missed one of my son’s baseball games, and I’ve never left work at the end of the day mentally drained.”

“I never thought of it in those terms,” the first friend answered.

His friend continued, “Most of us spend so much time chasing after success that we don’t recognize what we already have is more than enough.”

Some of you reading this story will wonder if the friend is absolutely brilliant, totally lacking ambition or just giving in to the pressures of life.

I would say none of the above! This person has figured out better than most how to set priorities. Instead of living for work, she understands the concept of working to live.

It’s a trend that will not go out of style anytime soon. Studies show that Gen Xers and millennials are looking for work-life balance as they begin their careers or search for new opportunities.

Ryan Jenkins, author of “The Millennial Manual: The Complete How-To Guide to Manage, Develop and Engage Millennials at Work,” identifies work–life balance as one of 47 strategies central to working with the next generations of workers. He explains why:

-- It defines success. Millennials don't view climbing the corporate ladder or owning tangible items (house, car, etc.) as success. Instead, success is having control over how and when they work and accumulating various life experiences, which are enabled by a better work–life balance.

-- They're always on. Millennials are the first generation to enter the workforce with access to technology that enables them to seamlessly work remotely, and they are eager to capitalize on technological capabilities to create more flexibility and balance.

-- They're moving up. Nearly one-third of millennials say that managing their work, family and personal responsibilities has become more difficult in the past five years. Almost half of millennial managers around the globe reported an increase in their hours at a time when many are starting families (compared to 38% for Gen X and 28% for boomers).

-- They're dual income. Millennials are almost twice as likely to have a spouse or partner who works at least full time than boomers (78% versus 47%).

“The bottom line is that millennials are entering a stage of life when they are marrying, buying homes and having children at the same time that the demands of work are increasing, while they are equipped (and sometimes expected) to work 24/7. It's no wonder that millennials value work–life balance higher than all other job characteristics such as job progression, use of technology and a sense of meaning at work,” Jenkins says.

Generational expert Giselle Kovary concurs: “Many millennials don’t necessarily want to set clear boundaries between their work and their life. For a lot of people in this generational cohort, they prefer ‘work–life integration,’ an overall blending of work life and home life to allow time for both. This blurs the lines between work tasks and personal activities, which can include a person doing online shopping, checking social media, going to the gym or taking their dog for a walk during work hours while responding to work emails on evenings and weekends.

“As organizations shift into a new world of work, virtual teams and the ability to maximize flexibility through technology will become increasingly commonplace. Those organizations that capitalize on this and embrace the benefits will be able to attract and retain millennials and high performers from all generations.”

Mackay’s Moral: Learn how to balance, not juggle, your work and life.

Walt Disney was a giant in the world of imagination. On Saturdays, Disney took his daughters to a local park to ride the merry-go-round and play. While sitting on a bench watching his children enjoy their rides, Disney imagined an elaborate family park filled with happy people. He put every detail into place -- from the pirates of the Caribbean to Main Street USA.

This pioneer of family amusement had no similar facilities to draw ideas from. He relied on his imagination. Now, one particularly descriptive job title at Disney is “imagineer.”

Imagineering is the research and development arm of The Walt Disney Company, responsible for the creation, design and construction of Disney theme parks and attractions worldwide. There are illustrators, architects, engineers, lighting designers, show writers and graphic designers. They make the magic happen.

An article in Bits & Pieces magazine claims each of us possesses a secret superpower that often goes underutilized.

This ability:

-- Can help you find innovative solutions to everyday and complex problems.

-- Transcends time, space and limitations.

-- Stokes our creativity.

-- Travels faster than the speed of light or sound.

-- Like a muscle, gets stronger with use and exercise.

What is this awesome power?

The answer might surprise you: your imagination.

Always remember that if you can conceive it, you can create a plan, get to work and bring your vision to fruition. Dream up bold and positive opportunities or focus on improving minute details that can bring about impactful changes.

No matter who you are or what you do, your imagination is a special thing that makes you unique. Unlock your imagination and watch yourself soar toward endless possibilities.

“When we recognize that everything in our life was created twice, first as a thought and then as a thing, we begin to recognize the incredible power of the imagination,” according to life coach Pam Sterling.

Let your subconscious mind help you exercise your imagination. Try this technique used by Thomas Edison: Ten minutes before you go to sleep, organize your thoughts. Think about a problem you’re trying to solve or ask your brain a question. Keep thinking about this as you drift off to dreamland.

Then, during the first 10 minutes after waking up, write down whatever pops into your head. You’ll often find that your brain has answered your question during your sleep. In the morning, your mind is looser, and you’re more likely to remember dreams and connect them to your daytime reality.

Even if you don’t think of yourself as the creative type, you can always amp your imagination up with a little effort. Here are some strategies I like to try when I’m searching for an original idea or an innovative solution:

Meditate -- Spend some time each day visualizing something pleasant and peaceful. It doesn’t have to relate to anything you’re working on; just picture a lake, a forest or even a loved one. You’ll relax your brain and body while creating a mental environment that makes way for fresh thinking. Another brain stimulator for me is exercise.

Pretend -- Look at ordinary objects around you and pretend they’re something different. Challenge your mind to look at things from a new perspective. Turn them upside down or sideways and see what they morph into.

Try something new -- Break out of your routine on a regular basis. Read a book on a subject you’re unfamiliar with, try a new sport, talk to someone you don’t know well. Different experiences can help loosen up stiff ways of thinking about things.

Make some art -- Try sketching a picture or writing a poem. It doesn’t have to be a masterpiece. Give yourself permission to roam in an unconventional direction. You may see and hear the world differently later. Pablo Picasso didn’t listen to critics, and neither should you!

Mackay’s Moral: Anyone who thinks the sky is the limit has limited imagination.