Which of the following is one way to establish credibility with the audience?

Recently I worked with a client who posed an interesting question: “What could she do in to gain credibility with her audience?”

Speaker credibility has its roots in Aristotle’s teachings over 2,000 years ago as he wrote about a speaker’s character, otherwise known as ethos. According to Aristotle, a speaker’s character was just as important as the content of their speech. Ethos, as defined by Aristotle, resides in two areas: character and competence:

• A speaker’s character is related to a speaker’s perceived honesty, sincerity, and concern for the audience’s well-being.
• A speaker’s competence is related to a speaker’s knowledge, experience, and preparedness.

Based on Aristotle’s concept of ethos, speaker credibility can be defined as “the extent to which the audience believes you and your message.” In other words, speaker credibility comes from your audience, and is based on their perceptions of you. However, credibility is dynamic and can change during your presentation.

Now, you may be wondering if there are factors that can help boost and maintain your credibility with your audiences? The answer is yes! There are factors that can elevate and enhance your credibility:

• Competence. One can enhance the audience’s perception of your competence when you communicate your knowledge, experience, training, or background on the topic on which you are speaking. Some speakers come into their presentations with initial credibility based on their professional credentials, roles/job titles, collateral such as books, and/or well-known achievements. If you don’t have first-hand experience with your topic, citing evidence to support your point of view from recent credible research can demonstrate you are well-informed and enable you to gain your audience’s trust that you know what you are talking about.
• Trustworthiness. When you are speaking, do you have the audience’s best interest at heart? Or are you speaking in your own self-interest? Audiences can tell if you are genuinely interested in their wants and needs. Establishing common ground and demonstrating how your topic is aligned with your audience’s values and beliefs can develop trust between you and your audience members.
• Preparedness. One of the surest ways to build your credibility is through your confident and dynamic delivery of your presentation. Rehearse your material so that you can deliver with fluency and expressiveness. Even if you have initial credibility due to your role or credentials, you can lose credibility with your audience if your delivery fails to meet their expectations.

The biggest take-away here is that we don’t give ourselves credibility. Credibility is built by how much our audience trusts and believes us and our message.

We've all heard the term before, but just what is credibility? It's the quality of gaining legitimate trust, integrity, and dependability—a trait every leader should possess in the workplace. To establish credibility, you must be a trusted source of information and decision-making among your team members.

But actions speak louder than words when demonstrating credibility. For example, if you don't follow through with promises or make decisions that aren't strategically based, others may lose trust in you.

Building credibility isn't just for workplace leaders. It will also serve you well when looking for a job in your field. Employers often look for candidates who are not only well-versed in their field, but also who are skilled and ethical decision makers, problem solvers, and communicators. Showing proof of your accomplishments and giving examples of team projects you have taken part in is a good way to demonstrate your credibility.

When you build credibility in your field among your coworkers, team members, and management, you also gain opportunities to advance in your career.

Actionable Ways to Establish Credibility

Whether you're just starting out or have worked your way up to a position of leadership, it's important to reflect on the impact you have on your workplace. Do your team members trust and respect you? If you're not sure, don't worry. Monster can help. Read on to learn how to establish credibility.

1. Stay Up to Date With Changes in Your Field

Changes happen in every industry. No matter how skilled you are in your field, it's important to have an ear on the ground for emerging trends that impact the company you work for. This shows team members, supervisors, employers, and other people in your field that you know what's going on in your industry and can adapt to the changes.

Here are a few great ways to learn new things about your industry:

• Subscribe to industry publications.
• Attend industry events and seminars.
• Join and participate in online industry forums.
• Check social media accounts of leading companies and organizations in your field.
• Listen to podcasts related to your industry.

2. Be Transparent With Information

Withholding critical information is a good way to be viewed as untrustworthy or controlling by team members and supervisors. That's why you should always be honest and share information with others, even if it's unfavorable. Embracing transparency is a great way to establish credibility in the workplace.

Consider these four tips on how to be more transparent with information:

• Ensure that each employee or team member is fully aware of their job functions, responsibilities, and tasks.
• Establish effective channels of communication so workers know where they can get verified information.
• Be honest about your motives and agendas, and trust that employees will practice ethics and confidentiality with the information you give them.

3. Value Respect Over Likeability

Don't be that person who smiles and shakes hands at meetings but lacks true interest in working with team members. While being likeable might seem pleasant to most people, the impact is only temporary and will only make it difficult to establish credibility. "Likeable" people who aren't actually considerate to others eventually become viewed as phony or insincere.

Want to know how to gain respect as a leader? One way is by offering feedback and constructive criticism. This shows you care about the performance and success of your team members and will prove valuable in the long run. Try these tips:

• Share results of assignments and projects, even if the outcome wasn't all that great. Performance results can be shared through presentations, newsletters, emails, and meetings, and are great ways to suggest improvements.
• Praise team members' performance publicly and give constructive feedback in private.
• Seek out feedback from employees, listen to others' concerns, and be open to new ways of doing things.
• Take responsibility for your errors and set an example of how to bounce back from them.

4. Grow Professionally

You can never have too much knowledge and experience in your field. Continuing education and professional development courses can help you gain competency and become more industry savvy, making you a trusted source for information. And the more you know, the better suited you are to lead.

To grow professionally, consider these options:

• continuing education courses, workshops, and seminars
• training on new industry-related skills
• networking with other professionals in your industry

5. Encourage Professional Development in Others

Don't just focus on your own professional development. Encourage your coworkers and team members to do the same. Doing so will demonstrate your interest your team members' futures.

Here are some ways you can encourage professional development:

• Hold periodic meetings and offer tips for improvement.
• Regularly share professional development resources with your team members.
• Consider establishing a peer mentoring program.
• Encourage your team members to establish goals.

6. Make Well-Advised and Researched Decisions

The ability to make smart and strategic decisions is fundamental to good leadership. Doing so on a whim can hurt your credibility and cause others to lose trust in you. Whether the decisions you make are large scale or smaller day-to-day decisions, they should always be well-advised.

To improve your decision-making skills and establish credibility, try following these simple steps:

• Envision the desired outcome of your decision.
• Draw from your own decision-making experiences in similar situations.
• Consider the benefits and consequences of your decision.
• Get feedback from team members.
• Evaluate the outcome of your decision. If the outcome wasn't desired, learn from your mistakes.

7. Encourage Teamwork and Collaboration

If you're the only person making decisions in the workplace, others may perceive you as controlling and self-serving. Inclusion is key to building credibility because it shows that you're willing let your team members have a seat at the table. More positive outcomes can be achieved, and decision-making can be enhanced when people work together.

To foster collaboration, try these strategies:

• Take part in team projects and problem-solving efforts.
• Provide opportunities for team members to work with you and share their ideas.
• Establish a judgment-free work environment.
• Encourage transparency and openness.

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