HOW TO Build, Gain and Regain TRUST?
We don't have trust. But we need people to trust us and we need to regain trust in our leaders, institutions and our system
TRUST is the foundation for everything we do!
And nowadays we don’t have trust!
If we could learn to TRUST one another (our leaders, institutions and our system) again, we can have amazing progress!
We don’t have TRUST because our TRUST was broken so many times: in our professional life, in our personal life, in the political life etc.
But where and if there is lost trust there can be forgiveness. And redemption. And the Trust can be won back - Trust must be regained!
If you perceive someone as AUTHENTIC – chances are to perceive that person also as TRUSTWORTHY. But you also need to TRUST his judgment and Logic and you need to TRUST his emotions and his Empathy. If you trust the Logic and Empathy of someone, you trust that person’s decision making and if you trust that person’s honesty and authenticity, you can say you really Trust that person. Professionally and personally.
>> The most common problem in trusting someone is related to that persons’ EMPATHY!
In today’s world, people are usually too busy and too focused on themselves and on their priorities to be Emphatic. You can feel that in the corporate and business environment, in the academic world but also or even worse in Politics. Consultants and Strategists in Politics understood how important it is to listen to what the people (voters) are saying, thinking and feeling. Some of the best consultants and strategists really realized the difference between listening and understanding. There must be a 2-way communication between the politician and his supporters. And more than that, the politician must be EMPHATIC, not just gathering data. The supporters, to become sure voters, must feel that they are understood and they must trust that the politician interest in their priorities and problems is authentic and backed by a good logic, a fair decision making process and the ability to find and implement the suitable solutions.
So let’s talk about immediate and real actions, not just about concepts and theory!
Either you are an entrepreneur or an employee, a manager or nor, a politician or a candidate, a consultant or just an active citizen, whatever the hat you are wearing, please try to be more emphatic. Be present and be there for those you talk to. Listen, understand, and, if you need just one piece of advice: at least put away your phone when you are communicating directly with other people.
If you show Empathy, you also need to be perceived as a Rational and Logical professional. IF the quality of your Logic or of your work is not good (or it is perceived as not good) – that is a real problem and only you can change it. But sometimes your logic - decision making and actions are good but you do not communicate and explain them well enough. You can communicate your ideas using a storytelling technique, ding personal experiences, stories, drama, mystery and coming to a conclusion. But if you need people to trust your logic and your decisions, please start with your point and your main idea, and then build on it and ad supporting evidence why it is the best solution or decision.
Human beings have a sixth sense for discovering if somebody is authentic or not. IF you need a tool or a trick to be more authentic: it is as simple as it gets (but really difficult for some politicians): be you! 😉 It should be easy to be yourself when you are with and surrounded by people who understand you and support you and are or think like you. As a politician, you should want to attract those people as your supporters and voters. But when you are different or think different then your likely supporters or likely voters, you are tempted to act different and to tell them what they want to hear. You can win their vote this way… once. But you may lose their trust and their next votes if they perceive you as fake or non-authentic.
Authenticity is very important in any organization. People must feel safe and welcomed, encouraged to be authentic. That’s how they can become creative and transform their potential into excellence. A leader must lead by example. A leader must be trusted and followed. And a Leader must grow and encourage other leaders.
In conclusion, sometimes, in politics, in the civil society, in the academic environment or even in the political world, people get promoted above their competency level. (see more details about the Peter Principle). And more than that, the best salesman is not necessarily the best sales manager. And a good doer is not always a great leader, inspiring and empowering others to perform. Or a helpful or devoted party member is not always the perfect candidate.
A solution for this problem might be EDUCATION: Training and education, focused specifically on logic, empathy, on strategy, communication, teamwork, collaboration and leadership.
The differences between us make us stronger.
We need to empower people to celebrate differences and to trust themselves, to trust us, their teams and their leaders enough to be authentic and to challenge the status quo: to change themselves, their organizations and the world!
>> You can find and watch bellow a great TED TALK which inspired this ARTICLE:
In an eye-opening talk, Harvard Business School professor Frances Frei gives a crash course in trust: how to build it, maintain it and rebuild it!
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