Actions Speak Louder than Words

We are all heavily swayed by words. They influence what shows we watch, the foods we buy and the decisions we make at the ballot box.

As a conservative, the most frustrating thing about the election of Barack Obama was not that this nation chose a liberal politician who fundamentally believes that a larger government is the key to our challenges. What drove (and continues to drive) me nuts is that people voted for and support President Obama because of what he says, not what he does.

Politically, our society is intellectually lazy and as a result, all we pay attention to is words and sound bites.

However, this is very different in the workplace. Your employees hear what you say but focus on your actions.

As an executive coach and leadership trainer, I advise my clients to consistently practice what they preach.

You can’t talk about the importance of “respect” in your workplace and then show up 15 minutes late to every meeting. It’s not enough to develop a vision statement that advocates quality and then cut corners during product development.

You’re not a politician. You’re staff and coworkers will see if your actions support your words.

If they don’t, you might as well stop talking because you’ve lost all credibility.

This week pay less attention to what you say and more to what you do.