Every week, our team reviews cultural fundamentals that make up “The F+A Way.” We take turns outlining our thoughts on these foundational topics and leading a team discussion. The group conversation is invariably a highlight of my week (and I love my work, so that’s saying something.)

Do the right thing… ALWAYS

“Demonstrate an unwavering commitment to doing the right thing in every action you take and in every decision you make, especially when no one’s looking. Always tell the truth, no matter the consequences. If you make a mistake, own up to it, apologize and make it right.“

When I was studying public relations at Washington State University – Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, a professor drilled into us a deceptively simple takeaway: a single professional attribute will make the biggest impact on our success as communicators.

It isn’t creativity. It isn’t strategic thought. It isn’t even our writing skills! Those are important, of course, but they are meaningless if we fail to cultivate something even more fundamental:

Credibility.

“In public relations, all you have is your reputation,” he would say.

He was (and still is) right. Reporters, influencers or other audience members must trust the information we and our clients share, or we’ll be completely ineffective. Clients only want to work with us when they know they can trust us to provide straightforward counsel and accurate content, balanced research and analytics, and thoughtful use of budgets to maximize their financial investment. Internally, our shared goals and deliverables depend on the validity of each other’s work, and our ability to follow through on what we say we’ll do.

As a team, our success depends on the trust that others place in us. Our collective integrity is built on individual credibility. And we each establish our reputation, earn credibility, by doing the right thing in big and small ways, every day.

The great news is, we all routinely showcase our ability and commitment to this when we:

• Do the right thing even on the tiniest projects, which builds trust in our ability to tackle bigger things.
• Operate in the best interests of our clients and the stakeholders that are important to them, especially when that means taking extra time and care to understand a situation from their perspective, to get something right and exceed their expectations.
• Double-check a fact, statement or even a basic scheduling detail before sharing with a reporter or stakeholder, so that the information they receive is rock-solid.
• Talk to each other when we’re not sure what to do. Sometimes it’s complicated! We’re fortunate to be able to lean on each other and together decide on the best path forward.
• Raise our hand when we find a mistake or realize that despite our best efforts, something hasn’t worked out quite right. Then work quickly to address it – communicating transparently and apologizing to our teammates, clients or others who may be affected, and focusing on steps we can take to own the situation and prevent it in the future. (Blameless problem-solving!)

One more thought about that last bullet. One of the best lessons I’ve learned since my days at WSU is that instances involving mistakes – and they will happen! – can be the most potent opportunities to earn credibility and build trust. It’s powerful when we show others that we will communicate clearly about a tricky, embarrassing or difficult situation – it’s key to building a reputation for truthfulness. This is fundamental to how we counsel clients encountering emergent or crisis issues, as well.

What examples of doing the right thing have you seen and experienced? Are there situations you’ve encountered where the decision wasn’t so straightforward? Let’s talk about it this week!