An old coworker of mine had some fun advice... He said if his wife asked if some outfit made her look fat, and it did, then he would say so. He would tell her what he didn't like. As a result, he doesn't have a fat wife with ugly clothing (and he retains a wife).

I value an honest relationship, not one covered in cute little "white" lies. People who deal with me come to understand that. For them, it must be refreshing to not have to question my motivations, to wonder if I really mean what I say. And if I care about them, I am surely doing them more good by answering honestly.

Never confuse honesty with poor delivery. "Heck yeah, you look like a fat, sweaty, slobbering pig." The right words depend on your relationship. You can be sensitive to that person's needs and answer the question they really asked.

So perhaps that was a poor analogy. With regards to the exit interview, I think there is something to be said for focusing on the positive and trying to keep the emotions in check while presenting more objective responses.