I wasn’t always a model employee as a teenager. I would often make excuses for not having completed tasks at work like, “I didn’t have time,” or “I was busy.”  

My father’s response to those occasions was crystal clear. He told me,“You can’t produce results and excuses at the same time.”

He was, of course, absolutely right. One of the greatest qualities in a human being is that when they say they’re going to do something, you never have to have to think about it again. You know it will be done. 

For my father, the employees who demonstrated that character trait—extreme reliability—were his most valued. As I grew up and began to build my own business, I discovered that they were just as valuable to me, too.

My dad was hard on me at work, but his lesson to be reliable and keep your word is one that I remember and act on to this day. Like me, you can use it to increase referrals, help you add great people to your organization, and change the way you feel about the work you do.