Personal credibility is something many people have a hard time trying to define. But it’s pretty simple: it’s all about respect, trust, and being believable, so says Sandy Allgeier, author of The Personal Credibility Factor. What you do — and what you don’t do — affects how others see you. When trying to build your credibility, Allgeier asserts, there are certain things you should try to avoid:

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• Failing to do what you say you will. Failing to deliver on the promises or commitments you make is the best way to bust your credibility. We all may fail to follow through on things from time to time, but do it repeatedly and you’ll have a credibility problem. If you don’t think you can fulfill a promise, don’t make it.
• Breaking appointments (or frequently rescheduling them). When you schedule an appointment, people expect you to keep the commitment. Life can be hectic and sometimes you have no choice but to reschedule, but that’s precisely why you must do everything in your power to keep your appointments. Canceling is annoying — doing it habitually shows a lack of respect.
• Constantly showing up late. Plan ahead and arrive a little early — consistently. Not only is your credibility protected, your stress level is reduced by avoiding that last-minute rush.
• Making decisions while keeping others in the dark. Say you’re the leader of a team project, and after gathering the team’s input you have reached a consensus on a key decision. Then you learn additional information and change your decision. As the leader you have that authority, but the team needs to understand your thought process. Otherwise, they won’t believe you really wanted their input in the first place.
• Casting blame when you should be solving problems. For positive change to occur, you must discuss issues. Don’t go on the attack — make sure the conversation is productive and focuses on fixing the problem.

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