The Importance of Trust
When we work in an atmosphere of trust, we share common values and depend on one another to reach mutual goals.
– We focus more on the customer than on any other aspect of our business.
– In our interactions with other employees, we keep their needs in mind as well as our own.
– We work in an atmosphere of collaboration and cooperation, and we value that more than competition and winning.
– All of our actions are open to scrutiny because we have nothing to hide.
– We focus more on long-term goals than on short-term goals. This may mean that success is delayed — or that we make decisions that appear to bring negative results — but we understand that being trustworthy matters more than anything.
Benefits of Trust
When there is trust in a workplace, many positive changes occur.
– Communication improves because there is no reason to doubt or second guess what others are saying.
– Teamwork improves because we know we can depend on others to do what they have committed to do.
– The culture of the workplace begins to change because we are more open with one another. We feel safer about asking for help, trying creative solutions, admitting failures, and celebrating success.
Building Trust
Charles H. Green’s book, The Trusted Advisor, focuses on the value of trust in building successful relationships in sales. He suggests that sales tactics are too often built around images of aggression or victory, rather than about genuinely helping our customers. A genuinely caring attitude that focuses on solving the customer’s problems will bring success; we will be less successful if we try to put success before trust and relationship building.
The same principle applies in all of our work relationships. If we choose to put trust first, we will be able to see issues more clearly. In a trusting organization, we:
– Focus on common goals, rather than individual needs.
– Raise issues when they come up, rather than allowing them to build up.
– Listen to and learn from one another through exchanging ideas in an atmosphere of open communication.
– Accept individual differences and realize that experiences may make trust more difficult for some people.
– Keep commitments.
Building trust is a gradual process, and we may make mistakes along the way. But if we continue to communicate clearly and honestly, trust creates a positive cycle that will improve our workplace and our overall success.