A palindrome reads the same forwards and backwards. So should your word, whoever’s reading it.

Being the same in both directions is the whole idea behind having a word people can trust. What you say about somebody when they are present should match what you say when they are absent, and what you promise should read the same to the person who benefits and the person who loses. Most reputations come apart at that seam, not through one big lie but through slightly different versions told to different rooms.

Pick one thing you have been describing differently depending on the audience. Settle on the true version this week and use it with everybody.