It is February and already the year feels like it is running away with us. Then there is the weather. Lots of cold crisp nights leaving us with slippery mornings and cars to de-ice or the others where there is heavy fog. Not much fun. However, daffodils are in the shops and my bulbs are popping up in the garden. Even the days are noticeable getting longer.
So, what am I thinking about?
Trust.
You cannot get away from it at the moment. Every news bulletin speaks of trust in the government and whether we trust our politicians. I am not going there.
The strongest trust I have ever seen was between two acrobats in the height of the big top. They seemed to be miles above us and there was no safety net. The catcher was swinging on the trapeze in a nice regular way, waiting, waiting. The flyer was swinging on the other trapeze building up momentum and watching for the right moment. Suddenly she saw it and took off fast flying towards the catcher. We all stopped breathing, willing everything to be OK. The catcher was ready, in just the right position, his arms outstretched. Had she timed it just right? Phew! Yes she had, and his hands closed around her wrists. Safe. Spectacular. Death or very serious injury defying. Incredible.
Do you trust anyone like this?
Yes you do. Every time you get in a car with someone else driving you trust them with your life.
Every time you leave your child at nursery or at school you trust the carers to look after them and nurture them in your absence.
Depending on your job you trust your colleagues. Look at how the firefighters trust each other when they cannot see in a burning building or police officers in a scrap or marine biologists when they are deep under the surface and reliant on their breathing equipment.
If we are in a safe environment like an office the type of trust is different. It could be believing your boss will do what they say they will by when they have promised or back you if there is a disagreement with another department, or a complaint.
Many of you have discussed trust with me. It starts with you being trustworthy in small things. Do what you say you will. Keep conversations confidential. Send over documents you promised. Have the conversation you said that you would. Remember things. Put the person in your team first. If you do this then people will trust you to do bigger things. Being worthy of trust is something we prove every day.
What happens if we do not trust people. It might be all or any of these things:
- People leave your teams.
- The work rate is low.
- People walk backwards doing just enough but not the full job.
- They do not step up when there is a frantic period or a crisis.
- People go sick.
- Women do not come back from maternity leave at all or until the last minute.
- People gossip.
- People make mistakes.
- People take no initiative.
- People enjoy wrong footing you.
- People go on strike.
Trust is precious. It is the foundation of any relationship. You might not have all the skills to do your job or the experience but if you are trusted people in your team will follow you. Like virginity you lose trust only once and it is almost impossible to rebuild.
Remember trust at work matters:
- With your team
- Your colleagues
- Your boss
- Your suppliers
- And importantly with your clients.
In my work it is a vital factor, My clients have to trust me with their private matters, personal stuff, embarrassing stuff. They must trust me to keep everything that happens between us as confidential, they might have to trust me not to be shocked (I think I am unshockable), not to be judgemental, to be on their side and to talk through their issues as an equal. Never mind knowing my stuff and giving good advice.
I have to trust my clients too. They need to want to learn and do what they promise. Otherwise, I cannot celebrate with them when they have success.
If this is you. If you want to explore these things and how it would affect you and your business to build stronger trust relationships, why not give me a call. We can talk about your challenges and what you want in your life. I love speaking with people, off the meter, to help them explore possibilities and whether/how to take them forward. I hope you will be one of them.