Trust Me
I've been perusing many articles, podcast, and blogs focused on building trust lately. Is it any wonder? We've just witnessed the convictions of Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skillman as perpetrators of the Enron debacle. The leaders of the U.S. government are mistrusted around the world and in our own country. Many people distrust the election system at the local, state, and federal levels.
What does trust have to do with you as a leader? Simply put—it's everything. In the NetSpeed Leadership module, Leading at Net Speed, we describe five Leadership Guidelines that form a leader's internal gyroscope:
1. Create an Optimistic Climate
2. Promote Collaborative Relationships
3. Encourage Exceptional Performance
4. Focus for High Impact
5. Cultivate Trust
What does it mean to Cultivate Trust? First and foremost, it means that you can be depended on to do what you say you'll do. There is congruity between your promises and your actions. You have earned credibility with your employees (or your customers). They know that they can count on you, not necessarily to be perfect but to stand behind your promises.
Take a look at the 2006 Annual Edelman Trust Barometer to see the results of surveys completed around the world on the subject of trust. It's a goldmine of useful insights. Here is just one quotation: “Trust is more than a bonus; it is a tangible asset that must be created, sustained, and built upon. ” (Thanks to Andy Kaufman for his blog posting on Stakeholders and Trust which pointed to this report.)
Like any business, we wrestle with this trust issue all the time. If we make a mistake, we bend over backward to correct it. It obviously helps if we have developed a trusting relationship that can withstand the occasional error. I wince when I recall a lost customer opportunity a couple years back that stemmed from a cascading series of bizarre technical errors (never seen before or since). It was no surprise that the client chose not to move forward. Around 70% of customers refuse to do business with someone they don't trust.
The issue of trust is always present in our relationships with employees and with customers. For a useful perspective on how to create greater trust with customers, listen to this podcast of an interview with Kevin Eikenberry. He talks about four elements of trust: Credibility, Reliability, Intimacy, and the Agenda. Trust has nothing to do with whether your customer likes you or even approves of you.
Becoming trustworthy to a particular client or individual is an ongoing process. What do you do to create, sustain, and build upon trust in your business relationships with your employees, colleagues, and clients? Send us your comments.
Comments
I had a conversation this morning with a business owner. He related two key lessons he learned years ago to develop his customers' trust:
- Run his business consistent with his faith. If he says with his mouth that he is a Christian, his actions better say it even more loudly.
- When a problem arises, ask "What can I do to make this right?" This turned the conversation into collaborative solution-seeking instead of a defensive conflict.
A friend told me his definition of integrity is "minimizing the variance between what I say and what I do." As it turns out, integrity develops trust, whether it's personal integrity or the integrity of how we run our teams and organizations.As Cindy well states, it's an ongoing process of daily decisions. As always, thanks for sharing your insights Cindy!
Posted by: Andy Kaufman | June 1, 2006 12:51 AM