"Hey buddy, sorry can't make it today, let's connect again next week! Hope you have a good day!"

"Sorry, something came up. Maybe next week is better?"

"Hey, something very important came between... I'm sorry can't make it."

"I don't feel like it today...Let`s find a different day."

"Sure no problem!"

"I understand, let`s talk when you have time!"

"Ok. Tell me when you feel like it again."

Sounds like a message between friends or family?

To me, too. Not like an appropriate way of communicating between 2 professionals who have agreed on the meeting. Yet I am surprised how much I find this language around people who are professionals and how much I had this stuff going on before I realized that it's everything but useful to act in this way.

See, with my friends and family, I have a different form of agreement. It is ok to say "call me whenever you want!" "Ahh no problem, we talk when you feel like it again!"

It is ok, yet even there, when you have this friend that reschedules 10 times, comes late to your meeting, doesn't reply to your messages, and finds excuses every time, you will likely change the way you see this friend. You might get annoyed, stop reaching out so often, or come late yourself. You will not take his or her WORD seriously.

I have had this going on for me. I talked with clients that way or responded in a way that said "it is ok, you can do what you want!" And with my mum, I would come late to meetings. I remember when she told me one time my brother and I came and I said "sorry I am a bit late!" she responded, "that's nothing new".

It caught me. I thought, "Wow, that's how she sees me now?" She was tolerating that, yet didn't like it. Understandably so. She would often drive 1h just to see me and come on time, and I had to take my bike and go 15 min. She made it in spite of the traffic, cars, longer travel, and coming straight from work.

She was BEing her WORD, she was BEing commitment. And I was BEing a son who didn't seem to care much about that.

When it comes to a professional setting, often your word is everything you have to move the ball forward. Your word is Important! People count on it and orient themselves on it, and they can either trust it or not.

Being nice and friendly is great, yet it doesn't make up for the actions you take against your WORD. It can last for a while "hey man I am so sorry, would love to meet you but can't today, emergency you know, would have loved to see you (kiss, heart, heart smiley)-" But the second time, or the third time...

I believe this behavior is causing major damage to professional and personal relationships, and many people are not aware of it. They wonder, "Why is this client not responding anymore?"

"Why are they not willing to promote me?" "Why don't you call my mum so much anymore?"

If you can't promise to be somewhere, don't.

If you are not sure about an upcoming event, don't say you will attend.

A lack of integrity with your WORD can kill relationships and whole businesses.

I had to learn that.

Still learning that.

What about you?

Who are you being with your word?

What would BEing your word change in your life?

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