Do you walk the talk?

Do you walk the talk?

“Work and play are words used to describe the same thing under different conditions.”  Mark Twain

My lady friend and I were talking the other night, she is a tremendous inspiration for me I might add, about a simple yet profound topic – do people walk their talk.  And as she expressed her mind so eloquently I started thinking, do I walk the talk?  Do I do it all of the time or only when it is convenient?  (I’m not going to answer this question in this article so don’t get into a twit)

As a manager, business owner or executive do you walk the talk consistently?  Do you allow your employees the freedom to walk the talk? 

What exactly is “walking the talk”?  Is it congruence?  Consistency?  Integrity? Clarity? All of these or others that I haven’t mentioned?  Let me give you my take on this, hopefully triggering some introspection on your part.

First of all I have encountered more people than I care to recall who don’t even know what this phrase means as I am sure you have as well.  Their messages, behaviors and words just seem to be coming from two different places in their psyche. Many of these people have convinced themselves that they do walk the talk but as my lady is fond of saying, it’s not about the words, words are easy, but it’s about the actions.  The key question here that you need to ask yourself is – are your words always consistent with your actions?  Yes, yes I understand that things happen.  I’ve been there. 

Things that you couldn’t control or anticipate but in the end what was your intention.  In another Weekly Tip last year I discussed the difference between stated intent and real intent.  As a quick review, stated intent is what you say – I’ll be on time.  I’m going to start exercising.  I am going to lose weight.  Words just words.  As a matter of fact I’ll bet last week many of you spouted many such words – we call them – New Years Resolutions.  Do you know that over 95% of the people who make such promises to themselves or others don’t even make it through the first week of January successfully?

Integrity seems to becoming more and more illusive these days.  Is it caused by stress?  Or is it something deeper, a need for only self-satisfaction or is it grounded in some other motive or emotion?  I don’t really know, but what I do know is that too often managers and leaders take the convenient or easy route rather than stand up to the pressures of following through with consistency and nobility. 

So, I ask you, do walk your talk all of the time or do you use any type of excuse to explain your inconsistent behavior?  Again, yes, stuff happens, it’s the real world and I’m not talking here about not walking the talk once in a while, we are all human, but in not walking your talk as a pattern or belief system.