Trust
Trust is the foundation in both personal and professional relationships. During your careers and personal lives, you've become aware of how crucial trust is in business and beyond. The factors that contribute to developing and maintaining trust are the same at home as well as the office. When I would disappoint my dad because I didn’t complete a chore, he would say, “Trust is earned”. Because trust has such a visceral connotation, I was crushed when he said I had lost his trust. It's a multifaceted concept that is built over time through consistent actions, communication, and reliability.
Open Communication:
In both business and personal relationships, open and transparent communication is key to building trust. This means sharing information, concerns, and intentions honestly and directly. During the first 20+ years of my career, I reported to many personality types; managers that digested information differently and communicated in their own unique style and cadence. I’d like to believe I learned what behavior to emulate and what things to avoid as I developed my own communication style. Maintaining open lines of communication with my employees likely contributed to a culture of trust within the organization. Regardless whether you have good or bad news to share, people deserve to get the truth in a timely manner and understand your thought process. While some information can be too sensitive or personal to share, and common sense must prevail, people don’t like to be kept in the dark.
Consistency:
Consistency in actions and words is a vital factor in building trust. In your professional life, being consistent in your decisions and behaviors helps your employees understand your expectations and build confidence in your leadership. Employees sniff out favoritism quickly and it can create resentment. Similarly, in your personal relationships, consistency in showing up for your family members and keeping your promises contributes to a strong foundation of trust. Kim has always coached me on this when we had to discipline the boys. “Don’t make threats you can’t keep”, she would say. Kim continues to be steadfast with the granddaughters when it comes to rules and rewards, something I need to be mindful of.
Reliability and Follow Through:
Reliability goes hand in hand with consistency. Being dependable and following through on commitments helps others trust your intentions and abilities. Whether it was in high school sports, a performance in the school play or picking up the kids on time from day care, reliability is essential in developing and maintaining trust. Actions speak louder than words, and following through on promises and commitments is a powerful way to build trust. In your professional life, delivering on your company's goals and promises to employees and customers solidifies trust. Similarly, in your personal life, following through on family plans and commitments reinforces your reliability and dedication.
Empathy and Understanding:
Empathy involves putting yourself in someone else's shoes and understanding their perspective. A shared experience is a great vehicle in creating commonality and alignment. I’ve always found that providing a non-judgemental ear, taking a genuine interest in what is being said and active listening are the best ways to develop empathy.
Integrity and Authenticity:
Integrity is a cornerstone of trust. It involves doing what is right, even when you think no one is watching. Being able to walk the walk, confident about standing on the moral high ground is noticed, appreciated and respected by the employees. Sincerity is very difficult to fake and your “people” know when you’re being inauthentic. There is no substitute when you can match your genuine interest with human interaction while developing, cultivating and nurturing personal relationships, taking a real interest in someone’s work, your child’s art project or your spouse’s day.
Shared Values:
In both professional and personal relationships, shared values play a significant role in building trust. I think part of the reason I started writing Monday Motivations was because I wanted to share my learnings, experiences and mistakes over 35 years in the workforce. Whether anyone finds these useful or not is up the reader, but I wanted to try to establish some common ground in values which in turn, create a sense of connection and trust.
Vulnerability:
Being vulnerable means allowing yourself to be open and authentic, even when it involves admitting mistakes or uncertainties. Sharing your experiences, including challenges you faced in your career or personal life, can help others see your humanity and relate to you. This vulnerability fosters trust by creating an atmosphere of authenticity and relatability.
Trust is an expression of vulnerability. You don’t build trust by offering to help others, but instead, when YOU ASK something of someone. By doing so, you are actually asking that person for help, safety and/or protection. This becomes an act of service for the other person, which is honorable, and in doing so, the bond can be deeper.
