Trust Speeds Progress
be yourself
Have you ever stopped to think how much time is wasted in organizations, with people “watching their backs?” How many of those emails that you receive are really just the sender’s way of covering his or her tracks? How much filing space is taken to maintain the “proof” that something was said or assigned?
What a waste of resources! Time… effort… space…
* Just think what our world would be like if everyone we work with had the TRUST to avoid this unnecessary waste of resource!
* Just think how much more we could get done!
* Just think how much happier we would be!
Well, let’s not “just think!” Let’s DO.
You have a real opportunity move your organization forward, even faster than it is moving now. Yep, the energy behind that effort is TRUST.
T is for TALENT: In any organization, members have different talents, and different perspectives. Valuing that diversity, maximizing the use of these different talents, enables better solutions!
R is for REASSURANCE: Trust reassures people. It builds confidence. The necessity for covering tracks goes away, and more time is left for productive effort.
U is for UNDERSTANDING: Understanding and valuing each others’ perspectives builds trust. Believing each other is necessary. People feel free to express their opinions, without threat of retribution, thereby allowing decisions to be made based on better information.
S is for SYNERGY: Any group that wants to soar requires synergy. The sum must be greater than the individual parts. And trust builds that synergy. People who work WITH each other, and value their contributions in a non threatening way, will be much more productive than those groups suffering a lack of trust.Without the freedom to be truthful, there can be no truth.
T is for TRUTH: Trust requires truth. It requires sincerity. It requires keeping one’s word.
So, where are you on the “truth scale?” You might want to ask yourself these questions. Only truthful answers are allowed!
* Do you value the diversity in your organization?
* Do you actively seek opportunities to place folks with differing backgrounds, perspectives and talents on committees or task forces?
* Do you seek out other people’s opinions?
* Do you avoid dismissing opinions because they don’t match your own?
* Do you avoid talking negatively about other people or their opinions?
* Do you believe in the other people in your organization?
* Do you keep your word?
* Are you brutally honest with yourself and others?
An organization built on truth has a great foundation. But it is important that every participant ingrains that trust, because one act of mistrust can start the downward spiral that leads to all that unnecessary resource drain. The reverse is also true… trust breeds trust.
Trust unleashes the resources of the organization to pursue its mission. It promotes confidence and enables synergy. Trust promotes partnerships and relationships that enable self fulfillment and true progress. So what can you do?
* Embrace the diversity of talent and opinion in your organization.
* Forge ahead instead of watching your back.
* When in doubt, take the path of trust. Set the example for others to follow.
* Build trustful partnerships.
* Be true to your word.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly and they will show themselves great.” What a wonderful concept… We all can remember the times in our lives when people have trusted and believed in us, and how we positively responded. Our challenge is to do that for the others we deal with. Imagine the results!
