In recent years it has become more important that companies declare what their values are, what they stand for, in an effort to attract similarly minded and similarly behaved people who make up their culture.  The last four companies I’ve worked with have had integrity listed as a core value.

Is it just a buzz word?

According to Oxford dictionary, the use of the word appears to be at a relative high over the last 150 years or so.

The Webster first definition is: “Firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values: incorruptibility.”

I prefer a more simple definition, “do what you say you’re going to do.”

It seems to me that this is how you form trust and trust is the basis of any relationship, at least one worth having.

As a leader, trust in the direction you are asking people to go is paramount.  I’d say it might be the difference between having business partners compared to just having people show up each day and collect a paycheck every couple of weeks.

I have a recent example of integrity that surprised me.  Data has become the way we communicate and data brokers are making a handsome fee on managing it for us.  When a company sells you a data package with certain download and upload speeds, you expect that company to have integrity that they’ll do what they say their going to do and that the system supports what they plan to sell you.

During a call last evening, navigating an issue with a pleasant but relatively poor communicator who burned 45 minutes and solved very little beyond scheduling a tech and sending me 10 coupons I will not use, I was directed to a “speed test”.  This allowed me to self-diagnose what I already knew…websites weren’t loading, latency was significant and I couldn’t communicate at the speed my brain wanted to go.  I had no confidence that paying more (a mere $60 more per month) for faster speed was going to happen.  My results were validating and appalling.  Running the test multiple times, instead of 100Mbps, I got 12Mbps! Each time I ran the test it was…worse.

I’m paying a fair amount for data speeds I’m not getting and I have to hold the company accountable because they won’t do it on their own.  That doesn’t sound like integrity to me.

It might be easier to change your internet provider than it is to change a boss but if you are a leader and you want really good business partners, start building trust by doing what you say you will.

Have a blessed weekend!