THE BANK

In order to make a withdrawal from the bank you must make deposits. If you have been wise and planned for the future you have deposited more than you have withdrawn so that down the road there is some reserve to draw on in time of need. How you treat people works the same way.

Over the course of our lives there are many people who are important to us. There are employers that we work for or employees that work for us. There are customers, friends, acquaintances, competitors and if you are a public figure, those you serve. Most important of all are our families. If we are to build up any reserve with these people we must make deposits along the way.

Building up a reserve begins with treating people like you would like to be treated. The reserve builds as you do the little things. Common courtesy is nice. So is showing respect for people. Are you positive and upbeat? Being a good listener and showing compassion is credible as is not talking negatively about people. These qualities and many others contribute to the image others have of you and help forge a foundation of trust.

Building upon that trust is when the larger deposits must be made. The amount can be significant or not and is often influenced by several key character traits and tests of those traits. Look-me-in-the-eye honesty, unwavering loyalty, fairness, hand shake integrity and humility are some of the traits. The tests can be telling. Were you there for things that were important to them? When help was needed did you respond, without wavering? When you gave someone your word you would do something, did you? Do you do the right thing, even when no one is watching? Do you stay strong when your principles are involved?

How you respond to these tests determines the amount of reserve you have with someone. The closer that someone is the more important the responses become. When those “someone’s” are your wife and kids there is NOTHING that is more important.
You cannot have failed these tests along the way and expect there to be blind faith in you when they need that faith. You must make your visits to the bank and make your deposits along the way. They must know, without any question, they come ahead of anything else in your life.