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Credibility: The Elusive,
Intangible Currency
Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you help them become what they are capable of being.
- Johann W. van Goethe
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Credibility. When you have it, nothing else matters. When you don’t have it, nothing
else matters.
Credibility is that elusive, intangible currency that enhances persuasion, power and
influence. It is difficult to obtain, yet so easy to lose. You can’t always pinpoint
it, but you know when someone has it. And perhaps more importantly, you know when someone
doesn’t.
When you have credibility, your audience gives you the benefit of the doubt.
They listen to you. They are engaged. They assume the best. They want to be on your team
and follow your lead. They want to work with you. When you don’t have credibility,
your audience is immediately skeptical. They stop listening to you. They assume the worst.
They don’t trust or believe you. They won’t willingly follow your lead. And
they won’t work with you.
When you have credibility, an audience that is neutral to your idea or request may still
say “yes” because they instinctively trust you. There is little risk for them
to support you. Conversely, if you lack credibility, a neutral audience often will say “no” – even
if they do not have negative feelings about your product, company or cause – just
because they don’t trust you. Despite all the other factors that contribute to successful
persuasion, credibility makes it all possible. Or impossible.
Credibility Given; Credibility Earned
In the most macro terms, there are two ways you gain “credibility” by
the people you communicate with. You can think of the credibility they give you in terms
of a financial investment.
Your audience makes an initial investment in you, giving you a small deposit of credibility.
How does this happen? Your job title can earn you some credibility. Your experience in
your industry can earn you some credibility. Or your newness in your role can earn you
some credibility. If your predecessor or situation was previously problem-ridden, your
arrival can spring hope, and hope can breed credibility. Your reputation also may add to
the credibility deposit people make in you. Until people know you based on their own experience,
they are likely to give you some credibility based on title, experience, hope or reputation.
But this initial investment is never limitless. Eventually, how you spend your initial
credibility investment is based on you, your presence, your words and your performance.
Over time, credibility must be earned. Initially it can be given, but credibility that
is automatically awarded is not inexhaustible. You must take that initial credibility investment
and use it to increase your earned credibility. The credibility you grow yourself – the
credibility you earn – is the credibility that will endure.
Let's illustrate by way of a story from my personal, not professional, life. The lessons
illustrated in this story can apply to everything we do.
Jim the Dad
I have a good friend, whom we’ll call “Jim”. He is the father of three
boys. Over the last few years, I have noticed a big change in how he interacts with his
sons. More importantly, I have seen a big change in how Jim’s sons react to him.
When Jim was young, he was a bit of a hellion and known more for having fun than for
high achievement. He has always chartered his own course and been a free thinker. Now a
successful executive, this aspect of his character has served him well. In fact, Jim is
proud of these character traits and still enjoys spinning a good yarn about the trouble
he got into in his younger years.
Today, Jim’s household is run as a tight ship. There are clear rules, plenty of
household chores for all the boys and family dinners several times a week. But the rules
that apply to the boys don’t (or didn’t) always apply to Jim. Jim comes down
hard on his boys when they don't do well in school, when they break curfew or get into
trouble. Yet the boys still listen to Jim tell stories of doing the exact same things when
he was a kid.
Over the last few years, Jim has complained that his boys no longer listen to him and
have become disrespectful. He has tried to tighten the controls and convince his sons that
they are following the wrong path when they get into trouble. They roll their eyes, “yes” him
to death but don’t change their behavior. This never used to happen, according to
Jim. The boys used to look up to him, and they did as they were told. But as his sons have
gotten older, they have become aware of the fact that they get punished for making the
same mistakes that Jim made (and brags about) when he was their age. They see a double
standard, and this is a hard thing for human beings to accept.
I am not suggesting that parents should take out the trash as often as the kids do or
should not push their kids to excel. But the ultimate point of this story is that Jim was
given a certain amount of respect and credibility as the father of the house. And that
initial investment of respect and credibility eroded over time because he did not continually
earn it.
Credibility – How to Get It
Now let’s transition the discussion into the professional world. How do you earn
credibility? It’s not complicated:
1. Do you know what you are talking about? The most
important way to achieve professional credibility is simple: Know your subject matter.
Be an expert in your field. A thorough understanding of your area of expertise will put
you in demand and give you a healthy head start in the quest for credibility.
2. What is your track record of success? There is
no replacement for delivering the goods. As human beings we tend to do business with people
who deliver. We are more likely to follow, buy from, hire or partner with people who have
a history of success.
3. Do you manage or inflate expectations? If, in
your effort to make the sale or shape opinion on a topic, you over-promise or inflate the
expectations of others, you make it hard to meet those expectations. And if you continually
fail to meet the expectations you create in others, your credibility will rapidly disappear.
4. Do
you outperform expectations? See the previous point. Simple equation. Exceeding
expectations through effective execution equals credibility. Enough said.
5. Do you communicate effectively? There are many
ways to connect communication and credibility, so we should break this single question
down into several. Do you communicate honestly? How transparent is your process? Do you
take responsibility when things go wrong? Do you share credit when things go well? How
often do you ask others what they think? How well do you listen?
6. Do you hold yourself to the same standard to which you hold
others? In other words, are you like my friend Jim?
Keeping all of these things in mind will help you earn the credibility you need to be
successful. Earning credibility is important. But how do we keep it? Maintaining credibility
is no different than earning it in the first place. Everything you did to gain credibility
you must continue doing to maintain it. It’s that simple.
The challenge and importance of credibility always remains the same. It is a never-ending
battle to get it and keep it. Period. We are given some initially, but it won’t last
without careful attention. And if we lose credibility, it will be significantly more difficult
to earn back. If we take the initial investment of credibility that we are given by our
audience, nurture and spend it well, we will grow that credibility and enhance our reputation.
This will, in turn, dramatically increase our powers of persuasion and our ability to achieve
our goals.
Dean M. Brenner
President |
Marni H. Lane
Media Specialist |
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© 2006 The Latimer Group. All Rights Reserved.
Dean M. Brenner -
The Latimer Group: 203.265.4344.
Feedback or comments: dmbrenner@thelatimergroup.com.
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