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Building Trust with Others | Part Two

Writer's picture: Jay ThompsonJay Thompson

Updated: Apr 21, 2024

"A team is not a group of people who work together. A team is a group of people who trust each other." - Simon Sinek


AM I BUILDING TRUST WITH OTHERS? - PART TWO

Superman, Wonder Woman, Iron Man, or Captain America everybody loves the story of a superhero. Superheroes are strong and powerful and can seemingly overcome any challenge and obstacle that gets in their way. Why is this possible? They have superpowers such as flight, invisibility, immense strength, orb X-ray vision. Although we do not wear a cape or carry a shield, we all have access to a superpower called trust. Trust, unlike other superpowers, isn't something we're born with or magically receive after getting bit by a spider. Instead, trust is earned. Last week, we looked at three trust practices that we can implement in our daily lives to help build trust. This week's JOURNEY UP THE MOUNTAIN will look at three more trust practices that will impact our trustworthiness with others and our organization. Brodi Ashton said it well, "Heros are made by the path they choose, not the powers they are graced with." So choose the path of trust, and be a superhero.


BUILDING TRUST PRACTICE #4

TAKE THE BLAME, BUT GIVE THE CREDIT


No one likes a person who hogs all the glory but dishes out harsh criticism when times get tough. The best way to get the best from other people is to give credit. That reinforces a sense of teamwork, fosters greater connection, and inspires people to work toward shared goals rather than personal agendas. One truth in life w can all count on is we are all going to fail at something at some point. Acknowledging and learning from mistakes allows us to lead by example and encourages our teammates to see mistakes not as the end of the line but as the beginning of growth. We want to be a part of an effective and efficient team that produces excellent work. Great teams form when we are quick to admit our mistakes and celebrate the success of others.


"A good leaders (remember leadership is influence, and we all influence someone)

take a little more than their share of the blame and a little less share of the credit."

- Arnold Glasow


BUILDING TRUST PRACTICE #5

DON'T PLAY FAVORITES


If there is a surefire way to lose trust, it's by playing favorites in the office. It's human nature to like certain people more than others. But it's not OK to give preferential treatment to others just because we like them. And don't fool ourselves, thinking peoples won't notice this kind of behavior. They always do. If we treat some people better than others, we do not build trust. We sow division.


"Playing favorites is always a bad thing; you can do great harm in seemingly harmless ways." - King Solomon


BUILDING TRUST PRACTICE #6

SHOW COMPETENCE

If we aren't good at your job, we can forget about earning fellow employees' trust. Even if everyone likes us, we have to be competent to be trusted. That means regularly improving our skills and following through on our commitments. When we quit learning, in some ways, we start dying. No matter what degree we've earned or what initials come after our name, we must find ways to improve competency on a daily basis. The first step to increasing our personal and professional competence is to understand we have not arrived. If we believe we have no room to grow, we won't grow. So here are a few questions we should always be asking ourselves. What do I need to know, and how can I learn it? Who do I need to know, and how do I connect with them?


"Act with purpose, courage, confidence, competence, and intelligence until these qualities ‘lock in’ to your subconscious mind." - Brian Tracy


TRUST PRINCIPLES TO REMEMBER

Things We SHOULD DO ...

1. Emphasize what we have in common. It helps everyone see how our goals are aligned and that we are all moving forward together in the same direction. 2. Share whatever information we can. Clear, consistent communication makes people feel trusted and willing to express trust in us.

3. Admit our mistakes and accept personal responsibility.


Things We SHOULD NOT DO ...

1. Just simply give orders. We should motivate others to succeed on their own. This will earn us trust.

2. Badmouth anyone. People will automatically assume we will also speak poorly of them when their backs are turned.

3. Fake knowledge. People need to see we are competent enough to do what needs to be done and confident enough to admit what we don't know.


Trust is an intricate subject, everyone wants to be trusted, but only a few people are willing to put in the work to show themselves trustworthy. So the question I will leave each of us to ponder is, "Are you willing to put in the work to be a trustworthy person?"







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