Integrity and Reliability: Showing Up and Following Through

Why This Lesson Matters You can have the best skills, the clearest communication, and the strongest problem-solving ability, but if you are not reliable and do not act with integrity, you will not keep a job for long. Professionalism is the combination of your behavior, ethics, and work habits that signals to an employer that you are trustworthy. It’s the difference between being seen as a temporary worker and being seen as a future leader.

Reliability is simple: Do what you say you will do, when you say you will do it. Integrity is equally simple: Do the right thing, even when no one is watching. In the Sri Lankan context, where loyalty and trust are highly valued in business relationships, these traits are non-negotiable. This lesson gives you a framework for building a reputation that precedes you—one of dependability and honesty.

Step 1: Defining the Professional Standard

Professionalism is communicated through your actions, not just your titles. It covers three main areas:

1. Demeanor & Appearance: Arriving on time, dressing appropriately for your role, maintaining a respectful tone (Courtesy, Module 5), and being prepared for the day. This shows you respect your job and your colleagues' time.

2. Ethics & Integrity: Being honest with your time, your expenses, and your colleagues. This means avoiding gossip and maintaining confidentiality.

3. Reliability & Follow-Through: Consistently delivering work on time and to the required quality standard (Contribution, Module 5).

Step 2: Building Reliability Through Accountability

Reliability is a habit built by small, consistent actions.

• Under-Promise, Over-Deliver: When asked how long a task will take, give yourself a small buffer of extra time. If you think a report takes four hours, promise it by the end of the day. If you finish it in four hours, you have delivered early (over-delivered) and established a reputation for speed.

• Managing the "No": If you are asked to take on a task that will cause you to miss an existing, higher-priority deadline, you must communicate the conflict (Communication, Module 3). Instead of saying "I can't," say, "I would be happy to take on the new project, but that will mean the inventory check will be finished on Wednesday instead of Monday. Which task is the higher priority for you?" This shifts the decision to the manager while showing you understand priorities.

• Document Everything: Always write down instructions, deadlines, and commitments (Module 2). Relying on memory is the first step to being unreliable.

Step 3: Ethics and Integrity at Work

Integrity ensures your success is built on a solid foundation, not shortcuts.

• Honesty with Time: Be truthful about the hours you work. Do not claim credit for a colleague’s work. Do not use company resources (internet, equipment) excessively for personal use during work hours.

• Confidentiality: Every business has sensitive information (client lists, financials, passwords). Discussing these outside the workplace or with unauthorized people is a major breach of integrity that can lead to immediate termination.

• Avoiding Conflicts of Interest: Do not use your position to benefit yourself or your family unfairly. If a supplier is your relative, you must inform your manager before making a decision involving them.

Step 4: Time Management and Prioritization

A strong work ethic means managing your time to focus on tasks that create the most value. Use the Eisenhower Matrix to prioritize your daily to-do list:

1. Urgent & Important (Do First): Crises, pressing deadlines, system failures.

2. Not Urgent & Important (Schedule): Planning, learning new skills (Module 12), building relationships, and long-term goal work (Module 2). This is where professionals spend most of their time.

3. Urgent & Not Important (Delegate or Minimize): Interruptions, some emails, minor requests from others. Learn to handle these quickly.

4. Not Urgent & Not Important (Eliminate): Distractions, unnecessary meetings, checking social media. These are time-wasters.

The Golden Rule When you are reliable, people stop checking on your work and start giving you more important opportunities.

Your Path: Unreliable vs. Professional Work Ethic

Exercises: Your Turn to Plan

Exercise 1 — Build Your Reliability Score. 

For the next week, track your punctuality (on-time for school/work/meetings). Also, track every commitment you make ("I will do X by Y time"). At the end of the week, calculate your reliability score: (Commitments Met / Total Commitments) x 100%. Aim for 95% or higher.

Exercise 2 — Practice the Eisenhower Matrix. 

Take your to-do list for tomorrow (or next week). Categorize every item into one of the four quadrants (Urgent/Important, etc.). Now, commit to spending the first two hours of your workday only on Category 1 and Category 2 tasks.

Exercise 3 — Defining Your Ethical Line. 

Write down two scenarios where you might be tempted to cut a corner and what you will do instead. Example: Temptation: Claiming 3 hours of work when you only did 2. Action: Only report the 2 hours worked. This prepares you to handle difficult situations before they happen.

Exercise 4 — The Proactive Time Check. 

Choose one long-term goal (Module 2). Look at your schedule right now. Do you have at least one block of "Not Urgent & Important" time scheduled to work on it this week? If not, carve out 30 minutes and put it in your schedule.

Quick Win Today, identify the single most important task for your goals (Category 2). Do not open social media or check emails until that one task is 100% complete.

Common Roadblocks (and Simple Fixes)

Keeping Yourself Motivated A reputation for professionalism is portable—it follows you everywhere and opens doors.

1. Be the Go-To Person: Aim to be the person your manager assigns critical, sensitive tasks to. This demonstrates trust in your integrity and reliability.

2. Mentorship: Find a professional you admire (in terms of work ethic) and observe their habits. How do they manage interruptions? How do they handle difficult conversations? Learn by watching.

3. Reflect on Consequences: Remember the cost of unreliability (disappointment, lost business, stress) versus the reward of reliability (promotion, trust, peace of mind).

Your Step is Complete You have now learned that sustained employability relies on a choice: the choice to be honest, accountable, and focused on the work that matters. By embracing integrity and reliability, you become an indispensable member of any team.