Actions Speak Louder than Words

Actions speak louder than words. It is a statement of fact – it means that your actions (what you do) communicate more clearly than your words (what you say). If you want people to believe your words, you should ‘speak’ with your actions, but why?

Besides the most obvious answer, I believe that it comes down to trust. When you ask something of someone else you are saying that you trust that they will complete the task, and if they don’t, they violate that trust.

It’s hard to ask for help, and people can make it even harder if they have no follow through. Whenever you ask someone to complete a task, you are handing over control of a situation and placing your faith in them. When you have believed something about a person and that person has broken your trust in that belief, there isn't a whole lot left and this is even more challenging on a team where everyone needs to be able to rely on everyone else.

Trust is the most foundational block of any relationship and is involved in all the basic elements namely, respect and consideration for another person. A team that builds its harmony on trust enjoys the ease and enthusiasm that bring success. In fact, that trust-foundation makes the harmony all the sweeter. As Steven Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, states, “Trust is the highest form of human motivation. It brings out the very best in people. But it takes time and patience…”