The Credibility Gap
Credibility turned out to be too timely a topic to ignore today. The subject had been on my mind, and then I ended up engaging in a pretty deep discussion of the matter.
I’m many things, but I’m a communicator first. My background in sales, marketing, and technology falls behind that. As such, I know there are many parts to a compelling message. None of these is more important than establishing credibility. I’m not here to establish myself as the sole arbiter of the question of credibility, rather I come to you, the reader, with a question.
Are you credible? Largely, it’s subjective. One may say you are, and another not. That’s not the point. Do YOU believe you? I’m less and less convinced these days people believe what they are saying. If they did, they’d be a lot less defensive under scrutiny. Count me as a skeptic as soon as I hear anything couched in absolute terms… always, never, must, shall. Count me as a double skeptic if I can’t tell anything about the person making the statement, or if the person making the statement doesn’t appear any more grounded in a topic than I, myself, am. Yet, I see more statements that are meant to carry themselves on the sheer gravity or impact of the statement itself, and not the facts or person behind it.
There are people who can tell me if my finances are Godly enough, as if they know Him better. There are others who can get me in on the same great “business opportunity” in which they have yet to have realized the same rewards of which they are offering me. That hasn’t even gotten me to the list of “secrets” and “gospel truths” that are being peddled. Sing it with me: A man comes on the radio, and he’s tellin’ me more and more, about some useless information, supposed to fire my imagination. I can’t get no satisfaction.
The audacity of it all pales in comparison to the reaction you can get by noting that someone really doesn’t have the credentials to make the claims they do. Disappointingly enough, I have only been threatened to be sued once this week for doing so. Maybe activity will pick up for the weekend. All the same, people are quick to share what they’ve “learned,” but they spend little time on just how they learned it or how their learning and experience is in any shape, way, or form superior to your own. The argument feels like, “But he can’t be a man ‘cause he doesn’t smoke the same cigarettes as me.”
The credibility of this blog is, “Hey, I’ve done a few of these things myself with this goal in mind. If you have similar goals, try some of these things that worked for me. Or, tell me what worked for you.” My identity is plain. My credentials are available. My comment boards are open. Fact is, a good teacher is never more than 50% a teacher. You have to be at least equally a student. In that, perhaps you can get “satisfaction.”
Jared A. Chambers
