Communication and trust. I have been reminded how critical these two concepts remain in the world of business; granted, they are needed everywhere but let's talk business a moment. The complexities and speed at which business moves requires a consistent clear message, there is not the time to re-write and resend. There is a parable of a man that had spread falsehoods about another man. The town wise man told the first man that the initial step to make amends is to take a down pillow to the top of the hill outside of town and cut it open, allowing the feathers to fly. The offender did as instructed and returned to the wise man for the following step. The wise man told him to go gather every feather and all would be well. The offender exclaimed that this was impossible. The wise man stated that what is impossible, is undoing the harm of telling the falsehood. Today's communications channels will scatter the message as quickly as the wind will carry the pillow feathers and just as difficult to collect. I have also been reminded of how quickly trust can evaporate and the long road to rebuild. To follow through on the promises made and communicate the status is the beginning of trust. It is far better not to test the boundaries of trust as circumstances will test every relationship without the added stress of skirting the edges of honesty. These are my two. I have known them and sought to put them into practice, however, I am freshly aware of their importance. What does this inquiry bring to your mind?

What core business values have you seen broken or upheld recently? How can those you identified be strengthened? Where are your struggles? How can this evaluation be applied to your personal life? What other question did I miss?