I am continuing a series for our newsletter to include a leadership topic along with passing along news in the nursing community. I wanted to focus on the positive in nursing and leadership. Subscribe to receive notification when our newsletter comes out.
Faith has been defined as “ complete trust or confidence in someone or something (Oxford Languages).” Merriam-Webster defines faith as an allegiance to duty or person; fidelity to one’s promise; sincerity of intentions.” How do you demonstrate your faith? I am not talking about religious faith. I am talking about faith in yourself and your brand promise. At your job or in your business, how do you show complete trust or confidence in your mission, your product, or yourself? Faith begins with you. How do you inspire others to have faith in you?
I think about brands that are out there that may have taken a hit to their reputation but have bounced back. I am not a spokesperson for any brand nor am I bashing them in any way. I am just pointing out what is commonly found on social media and in the news. We often hear that “transparency” is key and that is what makes consumers trust a brand.
Our first example is Goodyear Tires. I bet many of you have this brand of tires on your car, truck, or RV. It is a trusted brand that has been around for several years. According to a New York Times article https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/07/business/goodyear-tire-recall.html, Goodyear was under a criminal investigation for how it handled a recall of the RV tires in 2022. According to the report the tread on the tires would separate causing the vehicle to lose control and crash. Their reputation has taken a hit. Here are a few slogans on their website (https://corporate.goodyear.com/us/en/about/mission.html#scrollabletabs-565602a67b-item-c17a536ac4): “Tires for the places you’ll go” and “Focus on the good times, we’ll handle the rest.” From the article, it looked like they did not “handle the rest” very well. So, what did Goodyear pledge? In their corporate report they made a goal to “eliminate all serious injuries to become known as having the safest operations in the world…For 125 years, Goodyear has developed the technology that keeps people moving so they have the confidence to go faster, farther, and more places, making all of life’s connections easier every day.” Following the debacle of 2022, they made a recommitment to excellence. I have Goodyear tires on my car. Again, not an endorsement but a fact. We identify with their mascot, logo, and their brand promise of innovation and excellence. When things don’t go as expected, when their brand promise is broken, we look for the company to make it right. Having our confidence is important to their bottom line. When you have a failure, how do you make it right? How are you transparent and seeking to make it better? How does one restore faith?
Another example is Victoria’s Secret. A brief Google search revealed some negative comments about the brand. In addition to many calling them out for not being “body positive”, some were questioning their corporate integrity (https://www.businessinsider.com/victorias-secret-rise-and-fall-history-2019-5#it-hired-a-more-body-inclusive-model-25). Comments such as their products are “not sustainable” and is “unethical.” What has Victoria’s Secret done in response to the criticisms? They strive to include a more diverse group of models. Here is their brand promise: “ Body by Victoria. Our #1 collection is made to support you wherever life leads.” Also, “We don’t just sell products…we inspire customers around the world with products and experiences that support them on their journey.” This is their brand promise. In answer to the critics and in accordance with regulations, they have included a Modern Slavery Act statement to be responsible corporate employers and to only work with third party suppliers who are ethical in practice. It is something for which we can now hold them accountable. It is readily available on their website (https://www.victoriassecretandco.com/corporate-responsibility/overview).
I am not saying whether either company are living up to their promise. I don’t know if they are or not, but we can say that they will be held accountable because they have given their word, asking us to have faith in them. Does your brand inspire faith? Do you show up when you promise? Do you give the client your best at every experience? I recently had to do a training on communication. I admit, I was a bit apprehensive as I was not sure how the participants would react to the interactive portions. It went very well. We had a fun exercise to break the ice, resulting in laughter and giggles over a failure to follow directions. I reviewed the objectives for our time together, setting the stage for what was to come, and then I made sure that each activity reinforced the objectives. I made good on the promise to give them practical tips on communication. It went well enough that they are trusting me to come back again next month for another training. I strive to do my best to meet each objective in the most efficient, practical, and engaging way. I want my clients to have faith in me and my company.
How many times have we been sent a cold sales message and our immediate reaction is to recoil? I just received a message on Instagram from someone I don’t know who wants to sell me his weight loss program. I don’t know him. I don’t have any faith that he can help me lose weight. More importantly, we have never had a conversation, so how does he know I want to lose weight? We have all heard it said that people do business with people they “know, like, and trust.” Now, I might be interested in his pitch if he was introduced to me by someone I knew and who had used his product. I might be persuaded if I had some testimonials about how good his program works for others. I need something to help me have faith in him. Is he reliable? Is he helpful? Does he get results? How much weight have people lost? Can he tailor a program to meet my individual needs?
The power to instill faith that you will keep your word, make good on your promise, and deliver, is a key element in establishing your brand. If you break faith, you must work twice as hard to regain trust. I am not saying that you have to be perfect. No one and no company are ever perfect. You can strive to get better and to keep your word. It is having and keeping the faith of your customers which gives you credibility in the marketplace.
Nursing News
A recent article article about a Massachusetts community college is allowing 3,000 nursing students to complete their degree with free tuition. Read the article here: https://www.masslive.com/news/2023/10/new-initiative-provides-free-community-college-tuition-to-3000-nursing-students.html. What innovative ways can your community recruit and retain nurses in your state? Share your best ideas in the comments below and tag your state legislators and local officials.
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