Do you keep your word?

What I mean is, if you say you’ll do something, do you do it, or you told one of your kids you’ll do something with them, cook dinner for your spouse, or simply return someone’s call and don’t.

I know somethings may be a bit trivial, but are they? When it comes down to it, your credibility as a business owner/employee, father, spouse, friend or member of the community, do you follow through on your promises?

It’s important because it speaks to your character. Being busy is not an excuse, having overcommitted to things isn’t an excuse either. Do what you say and follow through, because if you let the little things go, what does that say about the big things, your business, and your follow through?

When you tell a prospect or client you’ll have the proposal over Monday morning, and Monday turns into Tuesday, do you think they can take you seriously? Honoring your commitments to prospects, clients and employees will determine how far you go in your career.

Am I oversimplifying? 

I don’t think so. The tone you set in your company is by the words you speak and the actions you take. If you badmouth prospects and clients, guess what your employees are going to do? If you show up late to meetings and don’t call when you run late, guess what message you send to others? Well, they’re just not important enough.

By and large, companies and people hire and fire you for simple reasons, someone may have been rude, or didn’t deliver something, or forgot to do something on site one too many times. When you cause aggravation on a big or small item, it really doesn’t matter, because you are aggravating them.

If you think you don’t have to follow through on the things you commit to, you’re wrong and eventually, it will catch up with you. For most businesses in Colorado, things are booming, most companies are hamstrung to find employees to fill the positions they need.

The bad news is, it won’t stay this way forever and staying within the good graces of your clients, customers and patients will allow you to continue serving them. If you don’t, that’s OK too there are plenty of other companies willing to take over the people you took for granted and didn’t follow through as you said.

Do yourself a favor and return phone calls, show up on time, and do the things you have promised to do. People don’t remember when you do things right, they remember when you blow them off and do things wrong, or not at all.