Guest Blog : Walking Your Talk - 5 Positive Effects
Posted by Bernie Ritchie & Deanne Earle on Oct 15, 2009

In the social media world, getting traction, trust, followership and engagement is all about following the principles of Know Me, Like Me, Follow Me (to quote the title of Penny Power's great new book on the subject).

Doing the same in the complex, offline world of real business environments is all about knowing how to communicate and leveraging integrity through Walking Your Talk. In this blog post, Guest Blogger Deanne Earle, Director of business & project transformation consultancy Unlike Before, tells us how Walking Our Talk effectively in the business world can have five positive effects - at the very least!

[You could say Walking Your Talk is also a primal behaviour strongly related to crowd behaviour and the herd instinct . Check out this video clip highlighted in David Brain's blog Sixty Second View which has been doing the rounds in the social media world over the summer. Almost literally a Know Me, Like Me, Follow Me moment! ]

Here's what Deanne has to say ...

WALKING YOUR TALK : 5 POSITIVE EFFECTS

As leaders and managers we're constantly bombarded with information for digestion and dissemination to others. Some of it's good and often a lot is not so great. While there's no ‘right' way to communicate there are certainly some simple and effective ways that helps minimise disruption and maintain or even increase buy-in and motivation.

Whether you're communicating good or bad news we've identified 5 areas where when you Walk your Talk you can achieve more with ease.

1. Integrity

Walking your talk means moving from a ‘do as we say' to a ‘do as we do' state; Showing by example that you operate with integrity. Integrity develops through consistency and perception. Consistency of your actions, behaviours, principles, and values, and others perception of whether you display consistency. Integrity is the absolute foundation blocks to walking your talk. When integrity is missing we are perceived as paying lip-service so understandable when others become sceptical. Do you believe someone whose actions don't reflect their words? Consciousness of action and behaviour is the first step to achieving more with ease.

2. Buy-in

Integrity enables a smoother path to buy-in. Stakeholders develop a positive perception by experiencing the consistency you display. Buy-in is now related to their interest and commitment to the decision or actions required. Now it's a question of ‘what's in it for me?' to close the loop and achieve the desired outcome. A stakeholders' ability to answer that question is now less clouded by doubts associated with integrity and noise pollution or hidden agendas, therefore allowing them to focus on those aspects that really matter.

3. Motivation

Now you have the stakeholders' attention and interest they're more motivated to do what needs to be done. Don't rest on your laurels quite yet though. There's a lot of work to be done to achieve the outputs you desire and the following loop will always continue:

As soon as you stop walking your talk one section will collapse returning you to a situation with more difficulties than necessary.

4. Respect

Respect is earned, it's not a right. Often those who expect it are least likely to receive it. People have respect for others due to their abilities and / or their personal qualities. Our behaviours reflect the words that we speak and through walking our talk we are giving others the experience of our worth and quality as a person. Through these actions we gain respect, which subsequently eases the way to achieving more.

5. Results

It's not easy. These 5 Positive Effects alone won't make everything go swimmingly. People will continue to have their own opinions of what is good or bad and right or wrong at any given point in time. Each stakeholder has their own expertise, experiences, ability, and overall mode of operating. Taking the time to observe, learn about and utilise these differences for each situation is critical. It's through other people that successful outcomes are achieved.

Be consciously aware of your integrity at all times. When integrity is out everything appears increasingly difficult. There are bigger challenges, higher barriers, and greater disruption. When integrity is in communication flows, understanding exists, and outcomes really do happen with ease.

Deanne Earle is Director of Unlike Before. Unlike Before are Business Consultants and Program/Project managers specialising in organisational change and IT-led projects that are complex in nature or in a state of crisis. Deanne and her team are renowned for action; able to show businesses and their people how to make change happen fast visibly, reducing the effects and costs of lost productivity. Check out all the latest from Unlike Before at http://www.unlikebefore.com/.

Photo Source: Corbis

Posted by Stacy Rake on Oct 15, 2009
That is great stuff from Deanne Earle. She helped me shift my focus from the end to the now...and how to GET to the end successfully, efficiently.

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