Inspiring Trust

Being the first posting in this blog, I thought of trust and relationship. It is out of “News of the World” shuffled into history, with its last edition.  It took me many places in my memory lane. Our recent consultancy assignments and projects we were able to complete are few among the many.

There were (always) discussions, most of the time debate about our approach. Our chairman Mr. G Senthilkumar, approaches the business as an art. I approach to the business is as a science. We deliberate on measurable. We challenge existing methods and tools.

During this journey, I found that trust is one important, vital need for any development. There are many incidents that actually proved this phenomenon. Trust is one thing that can make or break the human relationship, growth and development. The lack of trust will bring down companies profit. The lack of trust will slow down the growth and lead to death. The lack of trust will crack the marriage and relationship. One latest example is “News of the World”. The 168 years old establishment went into rubbles. However, trust is least discussed, studied, understood element for business success.

The very simple truth that, when trust goes up, speeds will also go up and cost will go down. It is also true that, when trust goes down, speed will also go down and cost will go up.

We learned and we profess that the ability to build trust with customers, bosses, co-workers and subordinates is essential to successful business. The ability to build trust with family members and relationship is essential to personal success.

The unique nature of “family owned” business of our part of the world demand this approach. Every business slows down when they meet lack of trust. The good news is that we can build trust and more important and very good news is that we can re-build the trust. For this we need only two things! Competence and Character.

We at helikx always ask this therefore we grow. Our findings are very simple and effective when practiced. We create trustworthy people. We create trustworthy process. We create trustworthy relationships, strategies, goals and direction.

Credibility is simply defined by answering the questions. First, do I trust myself? Second, am I someone who others can trust? To build credibility four core areas are 1. Integrity, 2. Intent, 3. Capabilities and 4. Results. Out of this Integrity and intent are character cores and capabilities and results are competency cores. This all four cores are necessary for credibility. A person of integrity that does not produce results is not credible. If you are not credible you are not trustworthy!

I wish to quote from “Stephen Covey’s” book, the speed of trust. He explained this in an interesting way quoting the 9/11 incident and how the speed of growth of America went down due to lack of trust and what went in to build the trust.

The first core – Integrity: Most of major violations of trust are violations of integrity. Covey assests that integrity is more than honesty. In addition to honesty, integrity is made up of three other virtues. 1. Congruency, 2. Humility, and 3. Courage.

The second core – Intent: Intent springs from our character. It is part of our value system. It is how we know we should act. Covey breaks intent down to three things. 1. Motive, 2. Agenda, and 3. Behaviour.

The Third Core – Capabilities : Capabilities are “the talents, skills, knowledge, capacities and abilities that we have that enable us to perform with excellence.” To help think about the various dimensions of capabilities, Covey uses the acronym TASKS: Talents, Attitude, Skills, Knowledge and Style.

Talents are the things we naturally do well. These are the things we usually love to do. Your attitude is how you see things. It is how we are inside. Skills are the things you have learned to do well. Covey does point out that it is easy to get so comfortable with our skills that we never fulfill our talents. He suggests that talent is a deeper well than skill. Knowledge is what you know and continue to learn. Style is your unique way of doing things. It involves your personality.

How to increase your capabilities: First, follow your strengths and your passions. Second, remain relevant by continually increasing your knowledge and improving your skills. Third, know where you are going. The people you lead will follow if you know where you are going.

The fourth core – Results: People don’t trust people who don’t deliver results. This is very important in business world and that too in family owned business. Father | Mother don’t trust their own wards, who don’t deliver results as per “their norm”.

Results are deliverable. They are what you contribute to the company. You can’t hide from your results. He (covey) states, “… if the results aren’t there, neither is the credibility, neither is the trust. It’s just that simple; it’s just that harsh.”

There are three areas of results people look at to judge your credibility. First, your past results: what you have proven you can do. Second, your current results: what you are contributing right now. Third, your potential results: what people anticipate you will accomplish in the future.

How to improve your results: First, take responsibility, for results, not activity. Second, expect to achieve your goals. Assume you will successful. This assumption will translate into action. Third, finish strong. “Results are all about finishing. You are probably aware of the old adage; Beginners are many; finishers are few.”

Trust Myths: One myth, for example, is that trust is “soft” – it’s something that’s nice to have, but you really can’t define it, quantify it, measure it. As I hope you can tell by now, the exact opposite is true. Trust is hard. It’s real. It’s quantifiable. It’s measurable. In every instance, it affects both speed and cost, and speed and cost can be measured and quantified. To change the level of trust in a relationship, on a team, or in an organisation is to dramatically impact both time and money – and quality and value as well. Another myth is that trust is slow. While restoring trust may take time, both establishing and extending trust can be done quite fast, and, once established, trust makes the playing field exceptionally quick. The speed with which you communicate and get things done in your own relationships to see the reality that truly, nothing is as fast as the speed of trust.

Myth and reality chart:

Inspiring Trust

Trust is a whole life choice, and until you are actually in a front-line situation, you will not even see the full power of the cores and behaviours on speed, cost and trust. Look immediately for ways to apply them and find opportunities to teach them to others.

Your will see how the speed of trust; the profits of the economics of trust; the relevance of the pervasive impact of trust; and the dividends of trust can significantly enhance the quality of every relationship on every level of your life.

You may still be hesitant or fearful when it comes to actually extending trust, but leaders who extend trust become mentors, models and heroes. Inspiring trust is the prime differentiator between a manager and a leader, and the prime motivator of successful enterprises and relationships.

Companies that choose to extend trust to their employees become great places to work. Most people respond well to trust and do not abuse it. We are born with propensity to trust and choosing to retain or restore that propensity is key to our ability to forgive. We have countless opportunities to extend and inspire trust to others but it also makes a difference in our own lives. 

Trust is reciprocal.