“Education does not take place when you learn something you did not know before. Education is your ability to use what you have learned to be better today than you were yesterday.” – Iyanla Vanzant***
How Would You Describe Yourself?
Would you say you are dependable? Would you say you are reliable? Now based upon your answers, as a leader, how many of the people who “follow” you (family, friends, staff, members, volunteers etc.) would say the same?
We are still in a global pandemic, with no clear end in sight. The economy has suffered and is slowing working its way toward economic recovery while the pandemic’s numbers continue to rise higher in the U.S. than any other nation in the world. The world continues to protest and demand justice and equality for Black Lives because Black Lives Matter. In spite of it all, police brutality has continued to occur in some cities because the message has yet to resonate that we’ve had enough of the injustices and inconsistencies that have provided favor to some and fear and fatality to others.
What Does It Take?
What does it take to get through to the other side of justice? What does it take to bring order and fairness to an organized, or supposedly organized, group of people? When you go back to work or as you continue to lead people, on site or remotely, how do you ensure fairness and equality in the decisions you make, in the application of policies and procedures, rules and regulations?
In the current world, it is becoming increasingly more important for us to not only have the right rules in place but to apply them consistently, fairly and ethically. Even in our everyday work, it is important that we understand the value and the worth that people bring to the table. It is also important that we understand our own worth and the value we bring, so we can make a meaningful contribution and a substantial difference to move this nation forward.
Dependability and Reliability, What’s the Difference?
Dependability and reliability are two terms that come to mind. These are two terms that some view interchangeably however both terms usually appear on job reference sheets, and have been included on them for eons (that means many years). The fact that they both appear, insinuates there is a difference between the two terms. No matter how many times over the years I have attempted to reconcile their meanings I land in the same space – ambiguity. I’ve had intellectual conversations about it…to no avail. I’ve checked the Thesaurus only to find that the words are used as substitutes for one another. I’ve scanned numerous dictionaries and the description for one is ambiguously similar to the other – and I have ultimately ended up in the same space with the same conclusion – ambiguous!
But, having worked in the employment world and having completed and reviewed thousands of references for new hires, transfers and terminations (voluntary or involuntary), I know the two words have carried and continue to carry a lot of weight.
Well today, I had an epiphany! I suddenly had a clear visual in my mind… out of the blue… of who is dependable vs reliable! I think I can take the liberty to develop this visual because it can only shed light on the ambiguous information that so many have simply pretended to understand in the first place.
Defining Important Qualities
Defining Dependable
Dependable – Shows integrity in honoring commitments and promises, i.e. attendance, tardiness, deadlines. When scheduled to be at work, in a meeting, at the barbecue, in worship, they arrive on time, as scheduled, if not early and regularly.
Defining Reliable
Now, Reliable… In my opinion one who is “reliable” is automatically “dependable” to start with, thus the frequent interchangeable use of terms we find in dictionaries and thesauruses, but there’s more. The reliable person is one who is not only timely and committed to honoring their word, they are also “consistent”!
Mystery solved!
People who are reliable are consistent in doing, saying, being; consistent in word and deed. This is a person you can count on. This is a person who is always Johnny on the Spot, thinking ahead and anticipating needs before anyone has a chance to verbalize them. The person who offers to help with something and they continue to do it “consistently” until you ask them to stop or someone else takes over. Their work is of good quality all the time and you don’t have to worry if they will follow through on their commitment, quality and stability.
I have now, finally found a dictionary definition that confirms my “Aha Moment.” According to the Oxford’s Lexico English and Spanish Dictionary, “Dependable” is defined as the quality of being trustworthy and “reliable.” The same dictionary defines “Reliable” as “consistently good in quality or performance; able to be trusted.”
Lexico where’ve you been all my life?!”
Dependability and Reliability in These Changing Times
Let’s tie this all together. We all have a chance to change the scope of this world and the way this world runs; the way it views specific human beings and the color of their…our skin. We can make a huge difference, while all the world either watches or participates in the process. We can altar the face of history, and now is the time to do it. In order to do so, we are going to have to be both dependable and reliable.
As our roles and tasks become clear, we must act in a timely manner. We will have to show up when needed, address issues in a timely manner and stay for the duration of the task or assignment at hand; no more excuses, no more tipping out like they did in the old school church services with a finger up in the air as they tiptoed out of the service before it was over. No more non-committed, bare minimum, peripheral leadership. That’s where we move from dependable to reliable. So yes, people can depend on us to say something. They can depend on us to write new policies, rules, regulations. They can depend on us to support the protests, the blackouts, and the boycotts.
But there will also be a need for the world’s leaders, corporate leaders, business leaders, church leaders and other leaders to do more than that. We will have to take the next step into being individuals that others cannot not only depend on but can rely on. When the rubber meets the road, we have to be consistent and do what is necessary to maintain the momentum and keep moving forward. When the new policy that increases equity in the workplace is up for discussion and debate, we have to defend it. When an employee says they have been the victim of discrimination, we have to LISTEN to their story and investigate it. When we investigate we will have to do something to rectify the situation so the employee knows we really heard them. As others watch, the message will become clear that things really are changing. Now we start to enter into a real culture change.
In all honesty, most policies in most of the companies I have worked for were “good” policies. One could depend upon the policy for fair, solid guidance in decision making and functioning. It is not enough, however, to have good policies. We must have reliable application of those policies. It takes reliable people to ensure fair practices. This is the area where people who follow our leadership are looking for us, as leaders to step up, to have a constant reliability that keeps them safe and comfortable. Yes, something they can rely on.
I don’t think I will ever forget the young man who once came to me because he thought he was a victim of discrimination. He told me what was happening and needed to know if this was something his supervisor could do because it was affecting his paycheck. I was aware of the policy that was being applied. I asked a few questions then gave him an honest answer… the dependable, honest answer. I let him know his supervisor was operating within an existing policy and was in fact able to do what he stated was being done. I went a little further to ease the blow and told him, if I learned of anything different I would certainly let him know. I hung up the phone. I felt sorry for him but I didn’t think there was anything else I could do. Do you think it was enough for me to feel sorry for him? Would that fix it? Would that increase his pay?
A couple of weeks later, I can’t say anyone but God woke me up in the middle of the night and would not let me go back to sleep. I got up, grabbed a pen and paper and left my husband asleep in the bedroom, while I went into another room. I sat down with pen and paper in hand and the thoughts came pouring out of my head, onto the paper. I wrote it all down. When I was done, I had a detailed action plan that would give me insight into the accusation this young man had brought to me weeks earlier. I had not been giving it much thought since that initial day and the time I’d spent quickly reviewing the facts and the policy I had referenced. Well, as soon as I captured these “thoughts” on paper, I went back to bed and went right to sleep, slept like a baby.
The next day, I made a few calls to a couple of departments, including payroll and requested tons of reports and documents. Days later, the reports arrived. I combed through them looking for specific information, line by line, employee by employee, just as I had outlined in my middle of the night notations. Guess what? He was right and she was wrong. Though the policy was an odd one, it was a real and legitimate policy. The problem was in the application of said policy. Long story short, the policy had been applied to this young African American man but not to anyone else who had taken the exact same actions that he had taken and been penalized for. Wow! That was all I could say. I took the information to the appropriate leadership who did the right thing in every way. They were very supportive. There was quite a bit of fallout from that action and I had nothing but respect for the people who took action to ensure that the situation was rectified. The policy was removed after that as well.
This is where innocent parties can become parties to a crime, if you will. We don’t want to take the next steps. We don’t want to scan multiple reports, interview countless people or make unpopular decisions. Some of those unpopular decisions might even negatively affect people who are close to us, but we have to. We have to be accountable and hold others accountable regardless of who they are or what their title. Herein lies the need for leaders to step up and be the reliable people we want others to be.
Concluding Thoughts
I once had an employee who worked as a supervisor under my leadership. She was awesome and the epitome of reliability. She was always on top of her game. She felt her job was to make mine easier. She stated this when she came into the job and she maintained that mindset until the day she left. She didn’t even change after she decided to take another job offer some years later. She was consistent and dedicated and hardworking up until her last day. I never had to wonder whether or not she was going to get something done or whether she would put her best foot forward. Even when she wasn’t 100% sure of what I might need her to do, she was going to do her best. That’s what people need from leadership today. They need us to do our best! They need us to do all that we can do and then do some more. That’s how we will change the world. That’s how we will eradicate racism from its comfortable footing in American society.In the words of inspirational speaker, Iyanla Vanzant, “We have to do the work!”