Our clients will recognize this as our Rule Number One – Integrity. I think integrity is one of the most revealing factors of our character.  The ability to make a commitment and keep it is an essential ingredient to everything we aspire to become and achieve. Integrity is the cornerstone of trust. Without trust, there will never be the basis of a solid relationship.

Having a high Integrity Quotient (IQ) – (Number of times you completed your work on time, first time divided by the total of requests for commitments) is the source of internal motivation that drives individuals from goal setting to goal achievement. Integrity moves us from mere dreams and resolutions to the mastery of accomplishment that fuels our complete sense-of-self (self-awareness, self-confidence, self-regard, self-esteem, and self-direction).

Falling short of high integrity, leads to overall lower performance dependability, hurts team morale and labels the individual as not trustworthy. Sadly, I hear so many complaints about low IQ performers and the problems that result from their missed actions that I wonder how much it costs the company (lost opportunities, lower morale, and cost of redoing) and certainly their credibility in the workplace and the company’s credibility in the marketplace.

Some have suggested that it is not just a black and white issue of simply meeting or missing an estimated due date. So years ago we appended our Rule Number One to include this option of escape: As soon as you realize that there is a CHANCE that you cannot keep your word, you MUST let all those involved know of that likelihood and further what your revised plan and time estimates will be. Preferably, you should be doing this in person as it builds character. If there were no mitigating circumstances for changing the original estimated due date, than this would negatively influence the Integrity Quotient.

Now, please understand that with the complexities of life and as the scope of the original project changes, and then with the approval of new estimates, the original dates are changed and this change should not count against the Integrity Quotient as the scope of work has changed.

Personally, I am an advocate of an IQ of 85% to 90% as achieving performance standards. Above 91% of the time is exceeding, while 70% to 84% is meeting minimum standards and 69% or lower is failing to meet performance standards. The breakpoints are set to allow for honest reporting and not to establish a system that would lead to a false perfection expectation. Once an IQ score has been established, the goal is to improve upon it.

Do you know your IQ score?