Credibility

SPOILER ALERT! Unintentional possibility of Moon Knight Spoilers ahead…

One of the most delightful ways I am philosophically inspired and influenced is through superheroes. My most recent “aha!” moments come courtesy of Moon Knight. Without giving too much away, his character is multi-faceted to say the least and, IMO, conclusively found not wanting due to tragic external circumstances. That’s all I’ll say.

Daily, we are weighed on the mind scales of our peers, coworkers, acquaintances, friends, family, and even strangers. None know the extent of the whys behind our actions. Yet it is through those actions that they find us wanting, or not, all depending on their perspectives and our relationships. Relationships of course are built over time and mutual experiences, and how our credibility is measured plays a big part on how we are perceived.

One of my favorite “oldie but goody” books is “Credibility”. Although not implicitly stated, at the core of Get There with You is my intent to support those I lead and those I serve in transparency which hopefully leads to trust. As a value, credibility for me ranks top three, even above being a subject matter expert or traditionally influential. Don’t get me wrong, knowing your stuff is expected and appropriately influencing others is not a negative. However, being credible in action and intent is above any of that for me. In an HR Department of One, if I get this wrong, where can my team go?

But how do I know if I’m on the right track? As a fan of introspection, I ask myself:

• Have I kept my commitments? If not, why not? Am I overcommitted? Over my head? Disinterested? Ill equipped? Do I say one thing but do another? Am I underhanded in any way?

• Have I been egoless when dealing with situations and people? If not, why not? Is it because I don’t “like someone”? Am I exhausted in dealing with the same situation over and over? Have I worried more about my reputation than building trust and community?

• Does my intent match my actions? If not, why not? Do I fudge the outcomes to make myself look better rather than acknowledging I came up a short? Do I take responsibility both in asserting myself when there is no fault and when it is definitely my fault?

• Do I “make good things happen for other people”? If not, why not? Am I looking for credit instead of propping up others? Do I give too much credit forgetting “other people” can sometimes include me?

For me, asking these types of questions help me refocus. When I refocus, I can face whatever challenges come through authenticity furthering trust with those around me. Without that trust, I am not credible regardless how much I know and how hard I try. It’s difficult to “Get there With You” when there is no one else on the journey!

Whether or not I am found credible is a result of what I do and how I do it. Hopefully, I am not found wanting. There is only one of me after all…

What’s are some good introspective questions that work for you?

#HRDeptOf1 #GettingThereWithYou #HRDepartmentOfOne #MoonKnight #credibility #anuthenticity #trustatwork #introspection