Your word is your currency.
In this ever-increasing digital world where swiping left and swiping right has become all too prevalent in seemingly all areas of our life (new date? swipe! new job? swipe! new friend? swipe! new product? swipe!) people, relationships, jobs and more seem all the more disposable. Like many, this makes me incredibly sad. To see this massive global cultural shift where we have collectively started to turn people into commodities, to be used and disregarded makes me wonder: does our word mean anything anymore? At a time when ghosting has become more “acceptable,” both personally and professionally, what weight does our verbal commitment hold anymore?
I would argue: a whole lot more than it used to – and its weight is heavier now more than ever.
Looking back at who I was as a child, I see now I was a stickler for rules. I took a “yes” at face value and would get terribly upset when I found out the person didn’t mean it. Why couldn’t they tell me the truth to my face?
As an adult, that pill remains hard to swallow. But despite being let down as a kid and an adult, I make sure I am the friend that shows up. I answer the phone or call right back. I check in. When I make a promise to someone, I see it through. No matter the distance or the difficulties it might present. Of course, in this digital world of distractions, I am by no means perfect. I have canceled plans when I could have shown up. My child self would cringe if she found out that indeed I have said yes when I really meant no. But I make it a daily practice to check myself and honor the commitments I have made, promising to do better and to be better to those I care about.
Professionally speaking, I have made it my mission to under-promise and over-deliver for all our clients. No matter the contract size, big or small, we ensure that all promises have been met or exceeded. Of course, mistakes have been made. After all, we are humans. But each time that has happened, we own up to it and never hide away or place blame where it doesn’t belong. And I am proud to say that this policy has done us well. In close to 10 years of company existence, we have refunded just one client.
I also know my employees rely on me to keep my word. I have worked for companies whose management did not share their vision or goals with their employees. I saw how lack of transparency and accountability can lead to distrust and an overall lack of purpose. I host town halls where I share where we are as a company and our goals for that quarter or year. I answer questions from an anonymous survey of our team members and open the floor to questions or comments. By hosting these meetings, I hold myself and the company to our word. It is by keeping our word, that we create the human connection between employer and employee that leads to progress and growth, for both.
Because what is this life without human connection? What is the point of it all – whether it be our professional or personal lives – if we are not here to interact with each other, whether we like it or not, whether we agree with each other or not, whether we will see each other again or not? Otherwise, we might as well be cats or ants that live and die. For some reason, we were all given a complex human brain that thrives and needs human connection. And for that human connection to feel right, we need to keep our word.
It might be the harder road, but it is the right road.
That is true for both company leaders and for our employees. As leaders, we are often tempted to take the easy road, perhaps by telling a difficult employee we will help them improve, when in reality we may be trying to manage them out. Or we tell our teams that we hope for growth this year, when in fact we know that we will have to downsize first. I understand the reasoning. We want to instill confidence, optimism and hope. But that can quickly translate to false confidence, false optimism and false hope. And the consequences of reality, when it hits in the form of a layoff or an expected promotion that doesn’t come through, can be devastating. The better road is the harder road: be honest, be transparent, and if you give your word, keep it, no matter what. There may be shock initially among your employees, but if your employees feel you trust them enough with bad news, they might just trust you enough to take you at your word.
The same can be said of our employees, and especially prospective employees. I would like to see a survey on how often today’s job candidates say yes to an offer only to tell you the day before starting that they’ve decided against taking the post. I would bet it happens more often than not. There doesn’t seem to be a need to keep one’s word when it comes to employment. Is it because our companies have become too “corporate” and our employees too “jaded?” I don’t know the answer to that, but I do know it’s frustrating. And it causes us to lower our expectations, from both the employer and employee perspectives. That too is a sad state of affairs.
Today, companies are often seen as cutthroat, on the side of profits rather than people, despite all the marketing to be seen on the right side of the next trending issue, or maybe because of it. The irony isn’t lost on anyone. Most will agree that the easiest cost to cut is people – and the easiest thing to say is the right thing: that our best resource is our people. The hardest thing to do as a company leader is to admit the first, and to actually act as if the second was really true. Because if it is, and we really act in the best interests of our people, there would be less turnover, less frustration, and less falsification of intentions. And if employees or prospective employees would be more forthright about their intentions, rather than simply making demands because they think they are in a position to do so, employers might be more amenable to making accommodations. That’s what keeping your word does, it builds trust, and makes both parties prone to agree rather than disagree.
Again, it comes down to giving and keeping your word. It works both ways. And when it works both ways, it actually becomes the easier road.
