Credibility Has Renewed Significance

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So far, I have suggested adding or raising the priority of four skills to the definition of desired overall competence for an organization’s employees and for individuals on a personal basis to develop. They are:

  • Continually curating access to knowledge from expert sources as needed

  • Anticipating skillsets employers and the marketplace need

  • Valuing soft skills to convey feelings of connection and belonging

  • Knowledge Transfer

The COVID-19 crisis has raised credibility to a new height of importance. Many people were able to ignore it as crucial in the President’s impeachment trial, but not now in the case of the pandemic. Medical people, led by Dr. Anthony Fausti, and New York Governor Cuomo have become the most respected sources of trust because they are highly credible in terms of experience, judgment and truth-telling. They don’t shirk the unpleasant and difficult to hear, but rather repeat it daily so it sinks in, and they ACT on true facts to the utmost of their ability.

Time will tell if the messages are still “sticky” after the crisis dissipates, or if this is just their moment in time without long-term lessons learned. But the horror and scale are so big this time that the lessons are bound to reverberate for the entire lifetime of Gen Z and Millennials.

Since it is not only a health crisis, but also the deepest and broadest economic crisis in our lifetimes, it may actually bring a cultural shift to valuing credibility more in leaders at all levels, media and professional advisers.

The Credibility Competence in the New, New Normal to Come

Can we hope for:

  • More people to look to credible sources with facts and proven experience?

  • Skepticism about people who act only as cheerleaders with no credible basis?

  • More skepticism about social media opinions and rants?

  • More trust of people who admit to not having all the answers and referring to others more qualified?

  • Not considering chronological age and tenure as the foremost measure of having competence or not?

  • Giving deserved thought to considering a person’s self-interest and future benefit over community and public benefit before backing their choices?

Many people have criticized the skepticism of members of Gen X and younger generations. Perhaps we need, if not skepticism and cynicism, more time to reflect on degree of source credibility before unchallenged and quick decision-making.

Call to Action: Do take time to think things through, especially when there is ambiguity or no obvious answer that applies to all. And please send me or call me with your thoughts on how you may be weighing credibility more carefully. Where do you see credibility playing a more important role in personal, professional, national and world affairs?