Why keeping your promises could be the biggest disruption of all

Why keeping yur promises could be the biggest disruption of allWhy keeping your promises could be the biggest disruption of allAs kids, were told that good people keep promises. Were taught it in school and church we read it in books and advertisements we even hear it in Disney movies. Somewhere along the way, Western business culture forgot the importance of keeping promises.Nowadays, being true to your word almost seems old-fashioned. The modern corporate world has a general culture of flakiness unreliability is not only acceptable but also a sign of seniority.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreAdd to that the instant gratification nature of our digital era and the bombardment of competing priorities, and we have ourselves a trustless society. In that sort of environment, showing that youre a rolle of integrity - who people can count on to do what you say you will do - is a gre at way to stand out from the crowd.How I lost (and found) my wayGaining a foothold in commercial real estate meant sacrificing significant chunks of my integrity. I had to learn the tricks of the trade and use them to outpace the competition. It meant prioritizing opportunities based on potential profits, keeping multiple competing commitments, being late to almost everything I did and treating deadlines like suggestions.I viewed my actions as smart and efficient, but I had no clue how much this inconsistency undermined my credibility and potential success. To repair both, I decided to focus on honoring my commitments. Most commercial real estate brokers are known to overpromise and underdeliver. My new business strategy involved doing the exact opposite.What does this look like in practice? For example, I had a guy join us after years at a traditional commercial real estate firm. During a conversation, I mentioned that I had brought back a case of a local rum from Hawaii a few mont hs back and that I would bring him a bottle the next day. As promised, I placed the bottle on his desk the following morning. After experiencing so many empty promises throughout his career, he was stunned by this small token that showed he could trust me.If you want to start being your word, begin by fostering a culture of keeping promises. Here are three ways to practice integrity genuinely and disruptively1. Be clear and realisticBusiness people routinely overcommit to impress or win business. Build a new modell by simplifying your commitments - making them realistic and clear - and setting specific deadlines and goals that everyone understands.Build a simple process for tracking and following through on your word. Record the commitments you make, setting reminders along the way. If you cant keep your word on a specific commitment, be honest about what happened. An attainable, systematic approach to integrity is the most direct path to being the kind of leader that people trust .2. Be accountable and coachableAsk others to hold you accountable to your commitments. This requires you to embrace humility and recognize that others can help you keep your promises. Set goals together as a team and hold each other accountable for deadlines and expectations.For example, I like to recognize members of my team with a Courage to Disagree award when they call me out for failing to follow through on my word or live up to our core values. Its especially important for me, as a leader, to cultivate an open environment where nobody is above honest feedback. The more you open yourself up to input from others, the more you can grow into a person that people trust.3. Be open and flexibleNeeds sometimes arise at inopportune times. Weve all inconvenienced others - or been inconvenienced - enough times to know how this goes.Set aside regular time to allow for out-of-the-box requests. One member of my team builds margin into his schedule, which is extra backup time that allows him to stay on track when unexpected disruptions occur. True integrity shows when its least expected, so be a flexible resource who can come through in a pinch.Reliable leaders must remember to be straightforward, accountable, and flexible. The more your people can trust you regarding the little things, the more they will trust and follow you when it comes to the big things. Trust is everything, and being your word creates that trust.If you enjoyed this article, sign up for SmartBriefs free e-mails onleadershipandcareer development, among SmartBriefsmore than 200 industry-focused newsletters.

AFSC 2T3X7 Vehicle Management and Analysis Specialist

AFSC 2T3X7 Vehicle Management and Analysis SpecialistAFSC 2T3X7 Vehicle Management and Analysis SpecialistVehicle Management and Analysis Specialists in the Air Force are like the auto mechanics of that branch of the service. They schedule and analyze maintenance on Air Force vehicles and equipment, making sure everything is in working order. Although theyre dealing with vehicle and vehicle systems, airmen in this job arent simply grease monkeys. Theyre working with some of the fruchtwein sophisticated and intricate mechanical systems in the world, which includes thousands of vehicles. Most of them require unique maintenance, and keeping up to speed with and learning the latest technology and techniques is a key part of this airmans job. The Air Force categorizes this job as Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC)2T3X7. Duties of Vehicle Management and Analysis Specialists Vehicle Management and Analysis Specialists supervise and perform On-Line Vehicle Integrated Management System (OLVI MS) management functions, including inputting data into the OLVIMS computer system and verifying its accuracy. They coordinateto ensure the timely repair of assigned vehicles, monitor contract, and warranty repairs and develop long and short range plans and programs to keep maintenance schedules on track. They oversee delayed maintenance, accident and abuse programs and keep track of vehicle historical data and records. These airmen also extractand tabulate maintenance data, and prepare that data for presentations to managers and supervisors. They analyze data for deviations from specific performance indicators and help to develop corrective actions. Qualifications Needed forAFSC 2T3X7 Youll need to know maintenance control and analysis, diagnostic duties, maintenance responsibilities, maintenance data collection and reporting procedures, and small computer operation in support of OLVIMS. Airmen in this job need a high school diploma with courses in algebra or other mathematics and should complete a vehiclemaintenance control and analysis course is mandatory. How to Qualify forAFSC 2T3X7 Recruits interested in this job should score at least a 41on theadministrative (A) Air Force Qualification Area of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) tests. After 7.5 weeks of basic training and Airmens Week, airmen in this job spend 30 days in technical school Lackland Air Force Base. Here theyll gain experience inmaintenance control or analysis, quality control, diagnostics or maintenance shop work center, and obtaining parts and materials for use in vehicle maintenance. Additionally, these airmen need to know how to conduct maintenance control and analysis, quality control, diagnostics and how to obtain parts and materials for vehicle maintenance. Civilian Equivalents of AFSC 2T3X7 Even though youll be working primarily with military vehicles, the training youll receive in this job will make you eligible for a wide variety of civilian jobs wo rking on vehicles and their systems. Youll be qualified to work as a garage mechanic or work in an auto dealership on vehicle maintenance. Any public or private company that owns vehicles that need regular maintenance (and most vehicles do) will have a use for the skills of an Air Force VehicleManagement and Analysis Specialist.

Heres how you can succeed at delegating employees

Heres how you can succeed at delegating employeesHeres how you can succeed at delegating employeesA few years ago, I started to hear complaints that senior managers were being dragged into weekly client calls - which is not how people in that role should be spending their time. Upon investigation, it turned out that during vacations, lower-level managers were covering their accounts up - in other words, asking supervisors to take calls or meetings for them. On the surface this seemed reasonable, but the practice welches stretching our directors thin and depriving our associates of major opportunities for growth.Learning to delegate is one of the toughest challenges facing new managers, and it is a skill thats critical to making a successful transition from strong individual contributor to team leader.Successfully delegating everyday tasks frees managers for mora strategic, big-picture thinking. But first, youve got to get your head out of the weeds.The most important first step in mastering the skill of delegating is to accept that no task will ever be accomplished exactly the way you would have done it yourself. You have to understand that if your team can produce 85 or 90 percent of what you want without significant involvement from you, thats a big win.How do you get there?Often new managers are reluctant to give employees the real-world experience they need to grow, especially in client-facing roles where mistakes can have consequences with important clients. This is particularly true in a B2B service business. However, as in sports, if players/employees practice and never get real game time, they cant get better. Eventually, they need that real-world experience.Whats the solution to this dilemma? Cover down.When our managers covered up, they not only created more work for those above them, they also ensured that no one farther down the chain of command gained any real experience running calls or meetings on their own. This proved a problem when the time came for those same managers to find someone to promote.Few managers had ever thought to cover down, i.e., have the juniorin people on their teams step up for these temporary opportunities. They were too worried about mistakes and about their team members lack of experience.But here is the thing While covering calls and meetings is a dull obligation for someone in a higher role, its an exciting opportunity for someone in a junior position. A lower-level employee is therefore likely to come into that call or meeting over-prepared and ready to make a very positive impression.Some of the best times to cover down are during vacations, travel, or when multiple meetings conflict.Use these breaks as opportunities to let some of your up-and-coming team members spread their wings and get some real reps - knowing that the extra responsibility is only temporary. The ultimate goal is to grow your people to take on your job so you can have a greater one. You simply have to trust them at some po int to go out on their own.In the case of meetings, begin by letting subordinates listen in on a few client calls, then give them a chance to handle some on their own - while you listen in. Dont intervene until after the call unless there is a real disaster. Instead, coach them afterward. This is how great sales managers train salespeople, they are willing to let them blow a few sales to learn the ropes. Real-world failure is a powerful teacher.Finally, try covering down during a vacation. Make sure you debrief when you get back, reviewing what worked and what didnt. If its a call, you can even have your team member record it so that you can go over it in detail when you return.This cover-down strategy has paid off well for us in the long term, as we have found its a great way to test out someone in an elevated role for a prolonged period of time, such as during a maternity leave. If the temporary promotion doesnt work well, you have a natural out. However, in most cases weve found the person rises to the occasion. This makes it possible to elevate that team member down the line and shows us who might be ready for more responsibilitySo, the next time you are facing a gap due to vacation or leave time, consider pushing someone junior on your team to step up. Over time, you might find that the more you cover down, the more you are able to grow your team and take on new challenges yourself.This post originally appeared on Forbes.Robert Glazeris the founder and CEO ofAcceleration Partnersand the author of the international bestselling bookPerformance Partnerships. Join 35,000 global leaders who follow his inspirational weeklyFriday Forwardorinvite him to speak.