How will improving trust improve engagement, satisfaction and performance for you and your team?
All definitions of trust include two elements: Heart and Head.
Heart represents character and is made up of many attributes. Reliability, dependability, loyalty, honesty, and empathy are just some of the attributes that contribute to trustworthiness.
Head represents competence and varies by circumstances, i.e. attorneys, CPA's and electricians have different competencies. More narrowly, construction attorneys and tax attorneys require different competencies for trustworthiness.
Trust in your attorney, electrician and CPA requires different competencies, but you want the same character in all!
All definitions of trust include two elements: Heart and Head.
Heart represents character and is made up of many attributes. Reliability, dependability, loyalty, honesty, and empathy are just some of the attributes that contribute to trustworthiness.
Head represents competence and varies by circumstances, i.e. attorneys, CPA's and electricians have different competencies. More narrowly, construction attorneys and tax attorneys require different competencies for trustworthiness.
Trust in your attorney, electrician and CPA requires different competencies, but you want the same character in all!
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Patrick Lencioni, in The Advantage, tells us that a foundation of trust allows us to disagree. When we are able to disagree respectfully, we can reach agreement and commitment. Commitment allows us to hold ourselves and others accountable, which leads to achieving desired results.
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Furthermore, trust allows us to make faster and better decisions, individually and collectively, because it minimizes doubts and delays. Living and working in a culture of trust doesn't just make life and work easier and more enjoyable, it allows us to accomplish more in less time. When trust goes up, speed goes up and costs go down. For more, see The Speed of Trust by Stephen M. R. Covey.
How can you improve your own trustworthiness? Walk your talk! If you say it, do it. If you're not going to do it, don't say it. You might think that's simple, but if you casually say, "Hey, let's go to lunch sometime," and never follow up, people will remember and you will lose a little bit of trust. If you say, "I'll get that to you by the end of the week and don't follow through until the following week," you will lose trust. If you ask your team for input and don't use or acknowledge their input, you will lose trust and eventually, their thought bubbles will be filled with, "Yeah, whatever." Remember that if what you do is inconsistent with what you say, people will believe what you do.
"What you do speaks so loud, that I cannot hear what you say."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
How can you improve your team's trustworthiness? In addition to individual trustworthiness, make sure the workings of the team are transparent and clearly understood. If the team follows a democratic process, adhere to it. No backdoor deals. No gossip. No circumventions or triangulations. If there's a team hierarchy or final decision-maker, make that clear. If you're the team leader and final decision-maker, invite open, honest and respectful discussion. When you make your decision, explain why and make it clear that you've considered everyone's input.
What will you do today to improve your trustworthiness? Your team's trustworthiness?