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&lt;p&gt;Credibility counts, especially at the office. This extends not solely to your job performance, but also the message you communicate, what you talk about, and how you talk.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;According to communication expert Dianna Booher, words have to match actions, so if you say you’re going to do something, you should do it.&#160; In addition to meeting your deadlines and hitting all your goals, it’s vital to establish trust in your communications – both verbal and written, including social – otherwise you’ll run the risk of lowering your hallway credibility.&#160; Once you’ve lost it, it’s all but impossible to win back, she says.&#160; Think of the saying – actions speak louder than words.&#160; However, if your actions match those words, it gives your communication that much more power.&#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Booher is the author of &lt;em&gt;Communicate With Confidence&lt;/em&gt;.&#160; The bestselling classic aimed at improving readers’ communication skills has been recently revised and expanded by McGraw-Hill.&#160; There are over 1,200 tips for increasing communication skills in her book.&#160; Booher promises that just following some the rules mentioned in her book will help readers, of any skill level, establish hallway credibility in no time.&#160; Here are five quick tips to get you started:&#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Show Concern.&lt;/strong&gt; People will care about you and more importantly trust you, when you care about them.&#160; People want to know that they have a sympathetic ear in you. Even companies need to show concern over individuals before rectifying situations.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Admit What You Don’t Know.&lt;/strong&gt;&#160; When people smell blood, they start to dig. It’s human instinct to push when they feel they are being bluffed.&#160; Admitting ignorance is a simple principle, easy to remember, easy to accomplish, but a difficult pill to swallow.&#160; Nothing makes people believe what you do know like admitting what you don’t.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Keep Confidences.&lt;/strong&gt;&#160; When people know you share personal, confidential matters about others with them, they fear you’ll do the same to them.&#160; Breaking confidences speaks volumes about your character. Those who observe your ability to keep your promises and your confidences will begin to trust you with their real feelings.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Avoid Exaggeration.&lt;/strong&gt; Did you wait on the phone for five seconds, or five minutes? Did the supplier raise the rates by 2% or 10%?&#160; Did the scores dip to 30 or down to 10?&#160; Exaggeration makes for great humor, but it is a credibility killer.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Accept Responsibility.&lt;/strong&gt;&#160; If you were involved in the decisions, actions, and results, or had some control over a situation that didn’t end the way others wanted it to, own up to it. Shirkers suffer credibility gaps.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To find out more, check out the book at http://mhprofessional.com/product.php?isbn=0071770135.&#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;--Jon Minners, Vault.com&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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