We all rate trust as a major factor in our satisfaction with personal and professional relationships. But trust is hard-earned and difficult to hold on to especially if it's compromised, isn't it? How many times can you RE-EARN trust - personally or professionally?
For any leader's personal development, TRUST has to top a list of strengths to develop...and maintain.
Effective leadership and management trace success to many
factors; but one element of all successful leaders and managers is the ability
to develop and maintain a high level of trust.
With trust you can reach that
pinnacle of real teamwork between two individuals or a group of people. Trust
works in more than one direction; you want trust between members of the team and
between the team and the team leader.
The
goal is teamwork. How to work up to it?
Teamwork
Trust is elusive and can be difficult to
achieve, but it seems to develop through some
consistent behaviors that ultimately send the message, “I trust you, you trust
me.”
Not only is trust elusive to capture, but once
trust is lost it may NEVER be regained.
So it’s worth understanding what goes into making us trust-worthy.
People tend to trust other people who they can
believe in, who they can depend upon and who are reliable. Also we tend to trust people who we feel care
about and respect us.
Teamwork
Trust
Credibility Mutual Respect
Those qualities are demonstrated through: (1) mutual respect and (2) credibility.
But in order to be someone others respect and find
credible, three behaviors are required.
These behaviors form
the foundation of trust and allow others to view you as credible and worthy
of respect. Respect, of
course, is something you earn by your behavior.
Teamwork
Trust
Credibility Mutual Respect
1. Stand by Your Word
2. Be Open with Your Thoughts and Feelings
3. Respect the Opinions of Others
1. Stand by Your Word
Credibility is largely a factor of
people believing you will do what you say you will do. This belief comes from a proven track record
that you are reliable and can be counted on to keep your word. If people do not believe what you say, then
trust will be unachievable or impossible to recover once lost.
How to be
credible:
P Ensure your commitments are clearly
understood; then keep them.
P If you need to change a commitment,
communicate the reasons for that change.
P Whenever your commitments are not kept,
repair that relationship immediately.
2. Be Open with Your Thoughts and Feelings
We trust
people who are open and
honest with us. Being open and honest
basically means telling people what you think clearly and concisely. When people do not perceive us as sincere,
they tend to be distrustful of our motives.
Their energy is focused on the motives rather than on the value of the
communication.
Communication
Patterns that Undermine Trust:
·
Judging ---- “You’re wrong”
·
Being Directive ---- “You can’t do that”
·
Superior Attitude---- “My way is best”
We each need to understand our “intended” vs.
“actual” effect on others.
Behaviors such as judging, being highly directive and conveying a
superior attitude cause others to feel defensive – though we may not have intended
that effect, it is what was actually felt. Such behaviors indicate a lack of respect and
value for the other person.
Being open and honest
carries the responsibility of sharing with others without demeaning the
thoughts and ideas of others.
3.
Respect the Opinion of Others
All of us form our opinions regarding any
particular situation based on our own past experiences and personal
values. Being open to the opinions of
others in a non-evaluative way is important to building trust. Although your opinion is important, listening with “hearing” is a strong message to
others that you care about and respect their views.
How
to Show Respect for Others’ Opinions:
P Ask
Questions:
Questions show your interest
and seek clarification of comments.
P Pay
Attention:
Ensure that your body
language - as well as your verbal language – convey that you are listening.
P Summarize/Paraphrase:
Let people know you care
about what they have to say by restating their ideas in your own words; it
means you really listened and encourages clarification to avoid
misunderstandings.
P Be
Empathetic:
People feel valued when you
explore the rationale behind their opinions.
The behaviors
that build trust between people are essential in creating a foundation for
teamwork and high performance. I believe that without
trust, the ability for any leader or manager to be truly effective is
impossible.
The Foundation of TRUST
1. Stand by your word
2. Be open with your thoughts and feelings
3. Respect the
opinion of others
Question for you:
Most of us have worked with someone we found to be untrustworthy - what was that person's effect on YOU and YOUR behaviors?
Strong Relationships + Solid Leadership =
Success for Everyone
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