Trust Me

What does the word “Trust” mean to you?

Dictionary.com defines “trust” as :

“(Noun) 1. reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence.

2. confident expectation of something; hope.”

Did you notice the connection between confidence and trust?

When we trust someone we are able to turn our attention elsewhere knowing that trouble will not come from that direction.  In fact, even more so, we realize that support comes from that direction.  Meaning we are STRONG and STABLE when our relationships have trust woven into them.

Confidence from trust breeds courage and safety.  Lack of it breeds fear.  Fear is emotional cancer that is destructive and eats families, communities, and companies alive from the inside out.

Have you experienced an atmosphere where you don’t trust those around you and sense danger from everywhere?  What does that do to your stress level?  What does that do to your performance at work?  In the business world, without trust, mistakes are hidden from leaders and conflict arises among team members.  It’s a domino effect that leads to failure.

Without trust, customers will not buy the product or service we offer.  Even if they actually want it!  Who of us would buy a product or service we needed from someone if we KNEW their customer service is terrible and we would be abused?  Nobody. We would look for such a product or service elsewhere.

Trust is the differentiating factor that we can nurture in any business that enables us to stand out from the competition. The reality is that if this key emotional intelligence trait isn’t present in our lives and in our business, we are in danger of poor health, poor performance, and from a company-wide standpoint –  poor profits and even failure.

Good leaders recognize this. In fact, a 2016 study conducted by Price Water House Coopers interviewed 1,409 CEO’s in 83 countries.  These CEOs collectively labeled what they found most dangerous to the success and survival of their companies.  Among 11 key threats like cyber threats, social instability, climate change, and tax burdens sat a “Lack of trust in business.”  Clearly it’s dangerous to ignore its importance.

So, what can be done to enhance trust within our relationships and our businesses?  Good communication, of course.  But what exactly does this term stand for?  Good communication means establishing an emotional connection while exchanging, understanding, and appreciating emotional information.

This is done verbally and non-verbally.  We can say a lot of things without any meaning and we can listen to a lot of words without any understanding. Good communication means listening, observing, acknowledging, and understanding the message and meaning behind the words and actions between people.

In terms of cultivating trust, it’s important to first understand and define the meaning of the word.  We have the dictionary definition but what is your PERSONAL definition?  What is the OTHER person’s personal definition?  What is the cumulative definition of your entire team?  How about your entire company?

Several years ago my wife and I were discussing this very question of what our definition of “trust” was. To me, it meant being dependable and keeping confidentiality while having honesty and integrity. That might show up as speaking kindly yet truthfully at all times, taking punctuality seriously to the point of dutifully making a phone call if I am late, to keeping private information to myself if someone shares it with me even if they didn’t ask me to, to always being as transparent as possible.

I want people to know that if they hand me the keys to their house and access to their bank account I would protect it with everything I have and give it up to them when they asked me to.

My wife held the concept to mean a sense of security and safety.  That someone wouldn’t hurt her somehow.  That the other person can be counted on as a means of physical, mental, or emotional support.

For example that might show up in terms of when someone agrees and commits to doing something of relative importance and keeping that commitment instead of backing out on a whim or when a friend is experiencing life challenges and feels safe enough to confide in the other instead of pretending everything is ok.

Clearly, this word is rich in meaning.  When I want my wife to trust me and when my wife wants me to trust her the same word carries the idea of the dictionary definition and yet they have the unique flavor of each of us.  It’s exactly why I used to get confused when my wife spoke about trust during conversations that in my mind had nothing to do with trust.  Ever since I understood her idea of what “trust” meant, it has informed my behavior and the way I treat her.

Do you understand the risk of broken trust and its consequences in a business of 10, 20, 50, 100, 1,000, or even 10,000+ people?

The bottom line is that you MUST take the time to define this word in your family and organization and nurture that trust through policies, procedures, and behavior, or risk sabotaging or destroying every goal you hope to achieve.

Trust me, it’s worth the investment and effort.

An Emotional Intelligence Specialist for seven years, native Floridian Adam Rosensweig is Chief Operating Officer of RR&D Inc. He is certified in, and responsible for administering/interpreting the EQ-i 2.0 and EQ 360.

Adam started RR&D in response to his wholehearted belief in, and support of, the Inglish Motivational Enhancement Method. After personally experiencing the program’s life-changing effects, he was moved to share this valuable knowledge with others. Adam works closely with Dr. Inglish, and values her as both co-worker and trusted friend.

Using emotional intelligence and motivational science, Adam and his team leverage their expertise to help individual and corporate clients reduce or eliminate internal barriers so they can be free to thrive.

(352) 572-0277

adam@rrd-inc.com

http://linkedin.com/in/adam-rosensweig-943931129

Header Image Credit: Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com