Regaining Credibility

There is a mystery going on in our house right now. We call it "The Case of the Missing Keys." I doubt this will ever be turned into a major or even a minor motion picture; or, for that matter, a dime-store novel. Nevertheless, it is an engrossing and intriguing enough pot boiler to keep all of us on the edge of our seats. Having said that, I am confident the eventual ending will be a happy one. The keys will be found and all will once again be right in our domestic world. Unfortunately, there are issues in other arenas that are not nearly as straight forward and capable of being addressed so easily as finding a missing set of keys.

In the field of communication a perfect example is credibility. When that goes missing, then even an unbroken string of string truth does not guarantee its return. Lies and purposeful deception have a very long shelf life. If a public figure or even any one us are perceived to play fast and loose with the truth, then that perception is nearly impossible to shed. Assuming for a moment one is caught in a lie, then what can they do to right that wrong? The first step is as direct as a simple fact: take responsibility. Admit it. Set the record straight. Doing this, of course, will not immediately restore one's good standing, but it will certainly put you on the fast track called "the right direction."

The second step revolves around facing the fall out of a lie or deception. Depending upon the size of the lie, its consequences can range from hurting one's feelings and costing people money to leading people to say and do things that puts them in a vulnerable position and even costing people their lives. When one or all of these things happen, the victims are understandably upset and angry. You, the teller of the untruth, need to give them a chance to vent, tell you of the problems you caused them, and voice their unhappiness with you. None of these things is easy to sit through. But this is what makes regaining one's credibility with another person or a public so difficult. It also is a great argument for not telling lies in the first place.

One final word: even devoting yourself to telling the truth and acknowledging your past missteps will not guarantee you will ever regain the original esteem in which others may have held you. But taking these difficult steps is the only path to take to being viewed as credible.