As a leader, you are expected to be reliable. That’s one reason why you are the leader in the first place! it’s also the reason why companies like Chick-fil-a are so successful. No matter where you go, you know you can rely on them to give you great service and food. Here are some things to consider as we become reliable leaders and organizations.
Be consistent
Successful repetition is the core of being reliable. To do this you need to do a few things with your team:
Set clear expectations on performance and the role that they play.
Follow-up and inspect end results. No need to micromanage, just timely verification.
Reward the behaviors on your team. Coach the bad behavior.
Consistency is not always a glamorous job. No one congratulates the pillars of a bridge for holding up while the person crossed over. Regardless, wouldn’t you say it’s pretty important that those pillars stay consistent in doing their job?
Under promise and overdeliver
Delivering on our promises is another huge piece of being reliable. We have a tendency to want to over-promise especially when it comes to follow-up and wanting to impress those that we work for or to rectify a situation. It’s common for me to have to re-adjust deadlines that leaders set for themselves. I do appreciate fast, but I like realistic more. Your guests are the same; they would rather hear it straight than have their expectations not met.
Be conservative on what you promise and then delight them with over-the-top service, a bonus item or feature, and ready prior to the due date.
The consequences
Just being a little bit unreliable can have consequences for your personal and professional life as well as the organization that you work for. Let’s take a small number (10%) and see how that plays out in each scenario.
- If your boyfriend or girlfriend ignored 10% of your messages and dates would you still be together?
- If an employee was late 10% of the time on tasks or showing up for work. Would you invest heavily in their future or give them growth opportunities?
- If you shopped somewhere and 10% of the time they didn’t have what you wanted and they didn’t get you a solution would you continue to shop there?
The answer is very likely no on all three of the above, especially if you interact with them a great deal because the inconsistency is multiplied. If it’s not 98% -100% then it’s not consistent and reliable.
Be reliable and watch your business and influence grow and your personal relationships thrive.
Make a better tomorrow.
-ZH
