DEPENDABILITY IS A CHARACTER QUALITY,

not a measure of achievement. This distinction is important.

There will be times when, hindered by circumstances outside your control, you are kept from completing a task. Though your achievement may be blocked, this should not hinder you from demonstrating dependability.

Perhaps a supplier's failure to deliver promised parts shuts down production. Consequently, you cannot complete a customer's order and deliver on time. If the breakdown had been your fault, it would be a matter of responsibility for you to resolve the problem. When the obstacle is someone else's fault, the resulting problems may be someone else's responsibility, but it is still your commitment that is hanging in the balance.

Dependability, in such a circumstance, is looking for ways to help your customer make up for any resulting consequences due to the breakdown. Even if you are neither legally nor morally responsible for problems that hinder the fulfillment of a commitment, dependability, is looking for ways to show the reliability of your word by standing in good faith behind those who lean on you.

George W. Childs summed up the spirit of dependability when he said, "I did not do merely , what was required of me, I did all that I could." When accepting an assignment from an authority or an order from a customer, keep the following three questions fixed in your mind:

What am I promising to do? Be sure you clearly understand what the expectations are that you have agreed to meet.

What is the desired outcome? Your role is only one part of a bigger picture. What is it that your authority, or your client, is seeking to accomplish?

How can I help? It is wise to set limitations on responsibility whenever entering a contractual agreement, written or implied. However, even if you fulfill your limited responsibilities but the ultimate outcome is still hindered, dependability is considering how you can go beyond your responsibilities in order to reach your goals.

John Wanamaker believed in either selling his customers the best products or letting them know that it was not the best to be had. Wanamaker's business thrived because people knew they could trust him.

When John Wanamaker introduced the first money-back guarantee at his Philadelphia department store, his competitors thought he was committing economic suicide. Surely customers would abuse this unheard of offer. And probably some did.


But Wanamaker recognized that a reputation of dependability-standing behind his customers' satisfaction, not just his limited responsibilities-is of inestimable worth. His theory proved true, and soon other stores began carrying the money-back guarantee.

 Dependability is standing behind your work. Stand behind not just your work but also the goals of your authorities and customers. Show yourself to be one whom others can count on to support their success.

DEPENDABILITY ON THE JOB
It is a fundamental principle of good customer service that when a customer buys a product, she is engaging a relationship. A service minded company treats every sale as a new relationship in which the company is providing its product to help the customer succeed. It is on this basis that money-back guarantees were devised.

Whether you are providing a product to a customer or agreeing to help a coworker, wherever you commit yourself, make it your purpose to aid the whole project to success. Make sure that people know, when they involve you in a project, that they can rest assured you will do your best to see the project a success. Stand behind the project, and even after your responsibilities are fulfilled, stand behind your work.

DEPENDABILITY WITH BALANCE
Dependability gives a broader definition to duty than responsibility. One is responsible only for his specific commitment or his specific role. Dependability includes all of that and more. Dependability further includes going "above and beyond" responsibility to make those who lean on you successful.

This distinction being made, it is nonetheless important to recognize what is responsibility and What is extra effort. One must never go "above and beyond" responsibility for one client or associate at the expense of neglecting responsibility to another. It is not right to go so far out of your way for one that you fail to fulfill your commitment to another.

Responsibility is "knowing and doing what is expected of me."

Be sure your responsibilities are always covered. With your basic duties fulfilled, extend yourself further to stand behind the goals of those you serve and see them through to success.

DEPENDABILITY VS. INCONSISTENCY
Fulfilling what I consented to do, even if it means unexpected sacrifice

De- is the Latin prefix meaning "down" or "from." Combining this with the word pendere ("to hang") creates the word picture behind the term dependable.

Dependability is illustrated by the rock to which a mountain climber ties a rope before rappelling off a cliff. That climber's life literally "hangs from" the stability of the rock. It is illustrated by a supplier who promises delivery by noon and makes the delivery on time, so that any projects "hanging" on the delivery of those new supplies can continue.

Dependability is maintaining consistency in life and fulfilling your word that makes your promises reliable so that others can "hang" their plans on them.

de·pen·da·bil·i·ty n 1: quality of that which can be counted upon; able to be leaned upon 2: reliability 3: trustworthiness

Dependability is accepting full responsibility for a goal, seeing it through to fulfillment, and then standing behind the result.

INDEPENDENT
Another near synonym for dependability is the much-used (but often misunderstood) word independence. It is commonly though that independence is a word that means "freedom from authority." On the contrary, a person may be under authority and still be independent.

The word independence refers primarily to the capacity of a person to operate on her own. One who is independent still has authorities to respect, but she does not need their constant oversight and provision because she is able to care for herself; she is "without dependence" on others.

The character quality of dependability is foundational to achieving independence. It is by proving oneself trustworthy, dependable, and capable to fulfill one's duty that person gains (and deserves) greater independence.

DEPENDABILITY AT HOME
Explain to your children the importance of doing a task with the purpose of the task in mind.

As an example of this principle, find an encyclopedia article or book about bridges. Talk about different kinds of bridges-foot bridges, draw bridges, suspension bridges.

THINK DEPENDABILITY 1. Why did John Wanamaker come up with the "excessive offer" of a money-back guarantee? 2. What are three questions to help you think through new assignments from the perspective of dependability? “There is one real failure possible; and that is, not to be true to the best one knows.” - F.W. Ferrar

Then discuss different places where a bridge might be built. List several, such as a river used by large barges, a wide valley, and a small creek interrupting a foot path.

If assigned to build a bridge for each of these places, what kind of bridge would you build? Talk about how important it is, not just to do a job, but to be sure you do it the way it needs to be done to achieve its purpose.

Character definitions and information used by permission. Copyright Character Training Institute. www.characterfirst.com
 

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