I’ve been thinking recently about the importance of candid conversation. A lot of people say that they are upfront and direct and honest. I’m not so sure. I think when push comes to shove, we have a hard time opening up and being real—in our personal and professional lives. I go to so many industry events where executives from large national REITs (and even smaller, local players) dish the party line. They rarely ever talk about the real problems they’re facing in their operations. Which I find disappointing.

I’m on a mission to change that. Later tonight, I’m having dinner with the CEO of a national third-party manager and value-add operator tonight. The food will be good, the conversation will be lively, but I’ll also be donning my journalist cap to ask him to tell it to me like it is: As rents continue to stay flat or decline, are his margins shrinking? By how much? How is he navigating the world of social media? Does he really think it’s going to boost the bottom line—or is that wishful thinking? And is he engaging in any redevelopment activity these days? If so, where is the financing coming from? Ultimately, what are the real issues that keep him up at night?

Why the Grand Inquisition? Because as we continue to navigate the ups and downs of the Great Recession, we need to get real about what’s going on in our companies and our industry. Let’s delve into the true problems and concerns we all have. If we don’t, we’ll only be kidding ourselves. Pretty soon, we’ll all believe what we tell others about our companies. And that’s not healthy for anyone.