Trust Across America-Trust Around the World™

How often does your phone ring with a “mystery set of letters”  showing up on caller ID?

Logic would dictate that a non-profit that relies on voluntary donations would “get” the value of leading with trust. But apparently “trust” has become such a “yesterday” word, that even charities are choosing a different path.

Let me explain what has led me to this conclusion.

Almost every day, without fail, our home phone rings with the following caller ID “LFA Pickup Service.” Who is LFA? The Lupus Foundation.  No matter how many times I ignore them, they just keep calling.

This morning a new caller rang in. This one simply read “MOD.”  I answered the phone, and the caller, after mispronouncing my name, identified herself as a solicitor for the March of Dimes. When I asked to be removed from this duplicitous calling list, I was told “no go” unless I verified certain information.

I would like to meet the marketing “team” at these organizations who decided on this approach as a strategy. I would like to know how trust fell out of favor at these charities.  I would like to know whether this deceptive and unethical practice is leading to a higher level of donations. But most of all, I would like these untrustworthy organizations and others who use the same tactics to stop the intrusion.

Shame on the Lupus Foundation and the March of Dimes, and all other non-profits who don’t lead with trust. When did your culture implode? Have your leaders lost their way?

Does anyone know the CEO’s of these two organizations? Send me their name and address.  I’ll be glad to provide them with an autographed copy of our new book, Trust Inc. (and a request to be taken off their calling list until they choose to lead with trust.)

Trust Inc.

Barbara Brooks Kimmel is the Executive Director of Trust Across America – Trust Around the World whose mission is to help build organizational trust.

For anyone still hesitating to embrace the business notion that trust is an asset – an asset that can leverage real business gains –look at the ongoing data from Trust Across America – Trust Around the World (TAA-TAW) comparing companies with strong trust profiles to all other companies.

Our portfolio is based on our FACTS model that combines quantifiable indicators of organizational trust including strong Financials, conservative Accounting, good Corporate governance, Transparent business practices and business Sustainability.

Source: Trust Across America November 2013

The market clearly values trustworthy business behavior, so why does the crisis of distrust continue, and why are companies not more focused on trustworthiness? It boils down to a system that makes other assets priorities over trust – specifically, antiquated notions of shareholder value and settling for regulatory compliance as the marker of ethical behavior, among other distractions.

The value of a company is derived from the relationships it maintains will all its stakeholders, not just shareholders. When we look at corporate performance we can no longer look at the short-term and we cannot merely look at investors.

Trust leadership requires a more progressive stance on building authentic relationships with stakeholders – a relationship that pays trust dividends.  It also requires a long-term focus. And for those pioneers in valuing trust and investing in trust, the upside is clear –and the short-term takes care of it self.

Barbara Kimmel, Executive Director of Trust Across America (TAA), a US based think tank and communications program (www.trustacrossamerica.com) whose mission is to help build organizational trust. Through it’s Alliance formed in early 2013, global experts are joining forces to collaboratively advance the cause of trustworthy business.

 http://trustacrossamerica.com/cgi-bin/alliance.cgi

Our new book, Trust Inc., Strategies for Building Your Company’s Most Valuable Asset  has just been released.

Trust Inc.