Saturday, October 30, 2010

It's The Little Things That Matter


The reason I post every weekend is the same reason I do my best as a salesman (these days called account representatives) to show up on the same day at nearly the same time week after week, month after month, year after year. It is based on my well-known axiom (at least to my clients).

Consistency over time = Trust

I want you, as a reader, to trust that if you visit this page there will be a new post every week.

How much more true this is for relationships, whether personal or business.

Do you know someone who seems to be consistently late? Do you feel anxious, doubtful or frustrated when having to depend on their promptness? It may seem like a little thing most of the time – but these little breaks in trust translate to uncertainty in other areas of a person’s life.

“If I can’t trust her in the little things, how can I trust her in the big things?”

As I have referenced in a previous post, this becomes especially critical when there has been a major rift in a relationship. The only way to repair a serious trust break is to become rigorously consistent in all areas of life.

I would like to pass these smaller inconsistencies off as nothing more than personality quirks or eccentricities – but in reality they are character traits. We say:

People who keep their word have good character.

Sometimes big decisions are made on this issue alone. When deciding which employees to promote, managers look at many factors – but high on the list are consistency in attendance, promptness and the ability to regularly come through for the company. All these factors add up to trust. The same is true for an employer. Are promises made to workers that are not kept? Do paychecks come on time and as agreed upon?

The word the Bible uses for this concept is “faithful”.

Luke 16:10 "If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities."

Just something to think about when making ‘little’ decisions. 

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