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When you consider the kind of person you like to work with, the chances are they’ll be reliable, responsible and happy to be held accountable for their own decisions. These characteristics work towards building your credibility and demonstrating them can bring a variety of positive benefits.
The Credibility Cycle and How It Works
Looking at the diagram above, you’ll see that the three traits of the Credibility Cycle all link into each other. This is because:
A Reliable Person is someone others know they can trust. They are dependable and will work hard to get a task done on time. They are, therefore, more likely to be given tasks that carry responsibility.
A Responsible Person knows who is relying on them and what their responsibilities are. They understand that not following through on these can have a negative impact on themselves and others. Their work will often involve a high degree of personal accountability.
An Accountable Person does not pass the blame for things they are responsible for. They accept they’re accountable for the end result, will work to achieve this and will accept the responsibility for things that go wrong. Because of this, others know they can rely on them… which brings us full circle!
Taking the above into consideration, if you manage to act responsibly and are reliable, there is less chance of things going wrong. This should mean the standard of your work will be high, creating fewer problems for which you will be held accountable. This helps create an overall picture of credibility in the eyes of your colleagues and managers.
What Kind of Behaviors Should I Be Displaying?
There are various things you can do to build a credible reputation:
- Do what you say you will, when you say you will. If something prevents you from doing this, let the other party know as soon as possible.
- Be responsible enough to understand that if you let people down it can have detrimental consequences. Remember, others could be relying on you in order to do their own jobs. Find ways to lessen any negative impact by talking through alternative options with them.
- Try not to make excuses for things you should have done but didn’t. Instead, spend the time putting things right.
- If you’re accountable for something, don’t pass the blame onto others if it goes wrong. It was your decisions that created the end result, so talk through the issues with all interested parties, and learn from the experience.
- Try, as far as possible, to be consistent in your behavior and decision-making. It helps others to know where they stand.
Think about how these behaviors work in practice, and how you can apply them. For example, don’t break appointments you’ve made. Others may have rearranged their schedule in order to meet you. If the situation is unavoidable and you’re forced to break an appointment, try to let the other person know right away.
Enjoy the Benefits of Being Credible
Being credible takes a bit of work but the end results can be most rewarding.
- You’ll make a good impression with colleagues, customers, team members and senior management, because they know you will get things done – and done well. Because of this, you’ll earn a good reputation as someone who delivers as part of a team and is effective.
- You’ll be a strong potential candidate for promotion due to your professional standing.
- It’s likely you’ll be seen as a good role model for others.
- You’re more likely to be given interesting projects to work on, which should stimulate and develop you.
- And best of all, you’ll be likely to enjoy a higher level of personal job satisfaction. Going to work in the morning knowing that others consider you credible is a good feeling.
