day 348: Show Versus Tell

The other day I met with an executive who was new into her job and she was so excited about her new company that she could hardly hold back her enthusiasm. As she talked about the company she quickly described the business and got to what was so exciting to her; the people and the way the company worked. She described the organization as a place where people really meant what they said and it was evident through the values and principles of the company and more importantly how the values were not just words but real actions. She had a great reinforcing story for each of the values and before too many minutes I could see and feel exactly what kind of good, well-run company it was. She then gave me a quick tour of the office and in each of the conference rooms was a large picture that was one of their print advertisements that told the company's story externally but each was another strong reinforcement of the values. This company clearly understands the power of show versus just tell. This meeting reminded me of what God was telling Abram (later Abraham) about what he could expect in the future when God took him outside and told Abram to look into the sky and count the stars; "Then the Lord brought Abram outside beneath the night sky and told him, 'Look into the heavens and count the stars if you can. Your descendants will be like that - too many to count!' And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord declared him righteous because of his faith." It's one thing to tell, it is another thing to be able to show while telling. Being able to back up who you are, what you want to do, and what others can expect from you, with a real-life story and something to point towards to show someone else what you say can and will happen is very powerful. If you can show versus just tell it is only making true the adage, "actions speak louder than words". As we all know, we are judged and evaluated by our actions way more than our words. As you think about today and what you have on your agenda, what is it that you can point to and show versus just say and tell? You may find that the more you show the stronger the message and the more others will look to you as one who follows through and lives your words out not just through your words, but through your actions. That level of credibility opens up all kinds of possibilities for you.

Reference: Genesis 15:4-6 (New Living Testament)