People are loyal to those they trust and the best way to build that trust is to keep the promises you make to them. Those promises are like the coin of the cultural realm and get deposited into employee relations bank accounts to be used later on to pay for all of the employee programs that meet their well-being needs and promote employee satisfaction. Break a promise and you immediately lose that trust. And no amount of reserve can cover that loss. Most companies claim they care about their employees but then put that Employment at Will clause on the first page of their handbook. Most managers say they have an open door, but it’s often closed when someone needs it. How often have you committed to getting right back to someone… but for any number of reasons, don’t? And how prepared are you to answer the questions your employee ask throughout a normal day? Sending them someplace else for those answers shows you didn’t care enough to prepare to provide the leadership they needed. I understand that honest mistakes happen, but late or insincere apologies don’t make up for the failures in leadership and trust that these missteps create. To them, an apology sounds like another broken promise. As a leader, understand that employees will always perceive your word as being your bond. Call it integrity, emotional intelligence, or the Golden Rule: say what you mean, mean what you say, and keep your word. Those are the promises and premises upon which trust and loyalty are built today.
Walter Wangerin Jr. (1944 – 2021): American author and educator best known for his religious novels and children's books.
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