As I continue to work through the great book, The Speed of Trust, I keep going back to the point of How Trust Works. You might think you know, I know I did but after the next two blogs you will find out that creating trust is not just making commitments and keeping them. Oh no, it is much much more than that.
I want you to think about Who Do You Trust? A parent, a teacher, a coach (my favorite)? How about a best friend or your spouse? Now let’s get to the meat of the matter and the reason you are reading this: Do you trust your vendors, do you trust your clients, and the big one, do you trust your employees?
Now why do you trust them? Yeah, that’s the easy answer. I ask it again, another reason why do you trust them? What is it about this relationship that inspires trust? As you ask yourself this question over and over again, you find many reasons why you trust them.
Now for the tough part. WHO DO YOU NOT TRUST: An ex-wife (another of my personal favorites), an ex-friend, an ex-client, partner, vendor? So the question again, what is it about those relationships that killed trust? Stay out of the weeds and the stories. Just stick with the direct answers. Oh yeah, by the way, why would you continue to be friends with, do business with, even be married to…someone you don’t trust? Wow is that a whole different kettle of fish.
There might be many different reasons that you trust people but my guess is that with the people you do not trust, pretty much the same reason comes up over and over again.
Now for the really tough one: Who trusts you? Don’t say everybody. As honorable as I think I am, my guess is there are some people that do not trust me. The people at home, do they trust you? How about the people at work? People you just met, do you just engender trust? How about people that have known you for a long time, does your veneer just wear thin after a while?
Most of us think that trust is all about character, of being honest, taking the hit when things get tough, making commitments and then keeping them. I am here to tell you that to think that trust is based solely on character is a myth.
Next week I will get into where trust really comes from
Until Next Week……..