Three Types of People
It is my desire to help people understand the value of following through on what they say they are going to do. I want to help them become valuable to themselves and to others.
From a career standpoint, when we make ourselves valuable, more good people want to pay us for the value we bring them. We can't expect someone to pay us (or pay us more) if we don’t bring more value to them. I want to help people understand that one of the great keys to success, in anything we do, is the discipline of delayed gratification.
Our world is so full of people who want the rewards before they have earned them... and say they will pay later. I believe success hinges on the discipline of earning the rewards before we receive and enjoy them. That goes for our investment of time, money, relationships and everything in life.
As you read this, understand that being credible has nothing to do with position or title. Parents should strive to be credible to their children... and children to their parents. Managers should strive to be credible to their employees... and employees to managers. Teachers to students... and students to teachers. Credibility is about who you are to yourself, and to everyone around you.
Shared with a desire to bring you value... and help you become more valuable...
Credible • UNcredible • INcredible
CREDIBLE PEOPLE
Credible People are very reliable and effective.
When you ask a credible person to do something (and they agree), you have the confidence it will be done properly, and in a timely manner. You never have to remind them. They ask clarifying questions to make sure they fully understand what they are agreeing to. They often notice things that need to be done and do them before you even have to ask. When you have Credible People around you, you are able to focus your attention on being effective with your own commitments and priorities. Credible People follow-through and get things done with excellence and efficiency... then, they follow-up and let you know when it’s done. On the rare occasion that something can’t be done in a timely manner, they update you on their progress and obstacles and give you a new deadline when the task will be complete. When needed, they ask for help... and they do so in a way to not shift the accountability onto someone else, but to obtain needed assistance.
Credible People don't make excuses or blame others. They are accountable people who follow-through and get things done.
An organization made up of Credible People is a Credible Organization... and great success will surely come to that organization and all those involved.
UNCREDIBLE PEOPLE
Uncredible People are Unreliable & Ineffective.
When you ask an Uncredible Person to do something (and they agree), you have reason, based on their past behavior, to doubt they will follow-through. You believe you will have to remind them and stay involved to make sure things get done. They are typically not organized in their approach and require close management to ensure effective follow-through. With people like this in your life, it is often easier to just do things yourself to avoid dealing with the frustration associated with their lack of follow-through. That is the easy way out, but absolutely the wrong answer in dealing with these people. When you choose to continue to deal with Uncredible People, you are unable to focus your full attention on being effective with your own priorities and commitments.
Uncredible people are excuse makers... they are also blamers. They seem to always have an excuse or blame someone or something else for their shortfall. They often look busy and their life is hectic, but they rarely accomplish what they should.
In business, if you have people like this on your team, you become very limited in what you can accomplish. You find yourself in a position where you are unable to properly focus on your priorities and commitments. You become consumed and frustrated by your lack of trust in the Uncredible Person and have to micromanage them to ensure things get done.
The best course of action in dealing with an Uncredible Person on your team is to...
1. Set clear expectations... then closely monitor if their reliability and effectiveness improves.
2. If the Uncredible Person doesn't quickly become Credible, they should simply be removed from the team.
Allowing Uncredible People to remain on the team erodes your own credibility as a leader, erodes the credibility of the team, and prevents you and your Credible team members from achieving what you could and should achieve. The real negative multiplier of keeping Uncredible People on your team is... those who are Credible will eventually leave, leaving you with an organization full of Uncredible, Unreliable, Ineffective People... and that is a sure recipe for failure.
INCREDIBLE PEOPLE
Incredible People are Credible People with additional qualities.
Incredible People inspire others to be Credible. They hold themselves and others accountable. They choose to surround themselves with Credible People. They invest in people on their team who are Uncredible with a desire to help them quickly become Credible. They know when to pull the plug and stop wasting valuable time on those who don't show the desire or ability to become Credible. In order to preserve and respect those who are Credible on their team, they remove those from the team who do not quickly become Credible. They possess the desire to help others become high achievers in all areas of life by modeling and teaching the value of being Credible in all they do. Incredible People are Great Leaders... they have less stress in their life, and they produce phenomenal results... placing them in a position to have greater positive impact on their families, communities, and the world.
Three Important Questions (be very honest with yourself)
1. What type of person do you want around you... and on your team?
2. What type of person are you?
3. If you are in a position of leadership, do those you are entrusted to lead view you as Credible?
