We all break lots of promises every day…
Many of them are assumed, unwritten, or unstated. We start meetings late or cancel at the last minute, we commit to things we forget about, we fail to wear our face covering at the right time.
Whatever it is and however small it might be, it still represents us letting others down in some form.
Whether you like it or not, parents, spouses, partners, and leaders are expected to do things that align with their respective roles and values…even if you never formally agreed to them. If others expect you to act in a certain way, and then you don’t…this can cause problems, uncertainty, and even mistrust.
Let’s keep this simple for a minute – think of all of the things you tell others that you will do in the course of a single day.
How do you make sure that you keep your commitments?
Many will say “I just do it” – and perhaps that works for some, but the data suggests that we’re generally not great at doing what we say we will do.
We’ve got to create the right environment for that to happen.
So…what do you do to create the right environment for you to keep your commitments at work?
Do you write them on a note pad? In Trello? Outlook? On your phone? In your head? Please share…I’m very interested.
Doing what you say you will do is called “Behavioral Integrity”.
Did you know that companies with a ‘culture of integrity’ have higher profits?
What does such a culture look like, you ask?
It is characterized by people doing what they say they will do.
…it is one in which people have high behavioral integrity.
In addition, when the workforce believes that senior managers will keep their promises, the workforce is more likely to keep their word.
So, keeping your word and doing what you say will do actually leads to others doing the same.
Let’s not lose sight of the fact that this probably also drives execution and on-time delivery of work.
Email me (drjohnaustin at reachingresults.com) if you would like to know more about creating a culture of integrity.
