What do pickles, kindness and employee engagement have in common? Read on.

This morning my younger son was packing up to head to Vermont for a few days with a friend and his family. He had just returned from the bagel shop with a Baker’s Dozen and a container of cream cheese to share during the trip. On his way out the door I remembered that last evening I had brewed up our first batch of summer refrigerator pickles from our bounty of organic garden cucumbers. (For those of you who think pickles must be made in a crock and “cooked” for months, there’s a shortcut that actually tastes better and only takes 3 or 4 days. Think “crunchy” and Google “garlic dill refrigerator pickles.)”

I suggested to my son that he take a jar to his host family. His response surprised me. He said he believed one kind gesture (the bag of bagels) was sufficient. I reminded him that you can never do too many nice things for others.

Same applies to leaders in any organization. Who in the C-Suite is tasked with doing the “right” thing and keeping everyone happy, the equivalent of a Chief Kindness Officer? It all starts with the CEO.  How often do you hear about companies doing nice things just because they want to, as opposed to well crafted PR campaigns or corporate window dressing? Some do. Howard Schultz at Starbucks just announced a program to pay college tuition.

According to Gallup, only 13% of employees worldwide are engaged at work. Do you think building kindness into the corporate culture might raise that engagement? Acts of kindness build trust. They make for good business.

I have compiled a short list of the various ways leaders can build trust through deliberate acts of kindness.

• Set long-term goals and establish a benchmark
• Put trust high on the agenda every day
• Create an intentional culture
• Hire the right people who are aligned with that culture (don’t forget to let HR know)
• Communicate openly
• Support advancement
• Catch someone doing something right every day, announce it and reward it
• Tell the truth
• Park your ego at the door and do more listening than talking
• Come down out of your ivory tower and on to the shop floor
• Keep your word
• Offer to buy lunch, bring a jar of pickles, and sit down at the table.

Start today. Set some long-term employee engagement goals and put trust high on the daily agenda. Let me know the outcome.

Barbara Brooks Kimmel is the Executive Director of Trust Across America-Trust Around the World whose mission is to help organizations build trust. She is also the editor of the award winning TRUST INC. book series. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International.

. 

Drop her a note at Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Copyright © 2014, Next Decade, Inc.

We’ve all heard them, those annoying robot recordings and canned phrases that companies and their customer service “professionals”  have adopted because it’s what “policy” dictates. I would love a seat at those policy meeting tables to remind management that without customers, business ceases to exist.

Here’s a short list of my favorite first hand trust-busters and the way my brain translates them:

CSR: “I understand how you feel”

ME: No you don’t. You think that by saying “I understand how you feel” that I feel better, but actually you haven’t resolved the problem so I feel worse.

CSR: Sorry, but this is our policy.

ME: You’re not sorry at all. You’re giving me a stock answer because that’s all your company permits you to say.

CSR: “I’m doing the best I can.”

ME: Well then I feel sorry for YOU because you’ve set your own bar very low.

CSR: Hobbily gobbily gobeldy gook. (The CSR is not a native English speaker and I can’t understand a thing they are saying.)

ME: This company doesn’t care enough about it’s customers to ensure that their reps speak English well enough to be understood.

CSR: “We can’t give you a time when we will be there.”

ME: You don’t value my time so customer service is clearly not a priority.

CSR: Our computers are very slow today.

ME: Funny, every time I call you, you tell me the same story. Please suggest to management that the computers be fixed.

And the best one:

CSR: You’re not the first one to call and complain about this.

ME: Then let me calculate the gross time wasted by all the callers instead of just my call. And now that I have finished my calculations, I  feel better knowing that you are letting all your customers down and wasting all their time, not just mine.

And I can’t help but recall of all those times I’ve dialed, listened to the recording, entered  the info and account numbers, sat on hold and then the CSR finally picks up… and the call is disconnected.

Certain kinds of companies are famous for poor customer service. Health insurers, utility and cable companies and airlines come to mind first. Also, all the local businesses that deliver appliances and the like. The remainder of companies, get it “right” more often than wrong, but it’s probably because we never need to call them.  And in some cases like utilities, we have no choice but to do business with these companies, and they know it. We are a captive audience.

What this tells me is that the “right” leaders are absent at the policy meetings (probably because they are too busy putting out fires.) The company is not customer focused and therefore not trustworthy. Management is more concerned with lining their own pocketbooks than in meeting the needs of all their stakeholders, including their customers. Their focus is short-term and they are fooling no one but themselves, and the lack of customer focus is usually indicative of more serious underlying and systemic problems, starting with untrustworthy leaders. As a consumer, I avoid these companies whenever I can. We all have choices (most of the time). Whenever possible, choose to give your business to those who don’t train their CSR’s to give stock answers to real concerns, and who apparently have no respect for the people who ultimately pay their salaries, their customers.

Barbara Brooks Kimmel is the Executive Director of Trust Across America-Trust Around the World whose mission is to help organizations build trust. She is also the editor of the award winning TRUST INC. book series. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International.

. 

Drop her a note at Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Copyright © 2014, Next Decade, Inc.

Yesterday I wrote about Ten Trust-Building Questions Leaders Should Be Asking and today I am following up with some easy suggestions and resources for accessing the trust-building answers.

Ten Trust-Building Resources for Leaders

1. Read a book on building trust
2. Watch a video on building trust
3. Receive cutting edge advice by joining our Alliance
4. Read a report on building trust
5. Contact an expert
6. Join a Circle of Trust
7. Hold a workshop
8. Plan a trust event. Make it fun!
9. Listen to the world’s leading trust experts via 4 years of Trust Across America Radio Archives
10. Send a note to Trust Across America-Trust Around the World. If it’s trust you are seeking, we have the resources to help. Contact: barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Barbara Brooks Kimmel is the Executive Director of Trust Across America-Trust Around the World whose mission is to help organizations build trust. She is also the editor of the award winning TRUST INC. book series. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International.

. 

Drop her a note at Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Copyright © 2014, Next Decade, Inc.

Business leaders are constrained by the number of hours in the day, and how they prioritize their time. Many spend a large percentage of it reacting to crises and extinguishing fires rather than proactively building business. If more leaders embraced the benefits of trust, they might have their time freed up for more worthwhile pursuits. So, if you are a leader, here are ten questions to ask yourself.

Ten Questions For Leaders Seeking to Build Trustworthy Organizations

1. Am I trustworthy? Does trust matter to me as an individual or in my professional life?
2. Is trust mentioned in our mission statement or corporate credo?
3. Do all stakeholders view me as trustworthy? Have I asked?
4. Do I talk about the importance of trust on a regular basis?
5. Do I engage my employees in discussions about trust?
6. Am I transparent?
7. Do I celebrate achievements? Do I allow mistakes?
8. Am I more concerned with profits or values?
9. Would I compromise my integrity?
10. Do I acknowledge the business case for trust?

What other questions should leaders be asking themselves in pursuit of building trustworthy organizations?  Leave a comment.

Barbara Brooks Kimmel is the Executive Director of Trust Across America-Trust Around the World whose mission is to help organizations build trust. She is also the editor of the award winning TRUST INC. book series. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International.

. 

Drop her a note at Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Copyright © 2014, Next Decade, Inc.

Sometimes our days don’t turn out as originally planned.

Yesterday was one of those days!

My intentions were good. I had a big project to tackle so I woke up extra early, walked the dogs, made coffee, sat down to check incoming emails, and suddenly the day derailed.

For those who can still remember back as far as childhood, some of us were blessed with a level of intelligence to the “right of center” on the bell curve. This attribute became a curse on days when tests or exams were administered, as there was often the classmate to the left or right, or sometimes behind us with, what was then known as “wandering eyes.” Their level of audacity was only limited by the teacher’s ability (and choice) to hear and see. When the tests were graded and returned, the cheater acted as if they had earned the grade themselves. They never bothered to thank the kid sitting next to them, and certainly never apologized.

Cheating still runs rampant in schools. In fact, it’s now at epidemic levels as all those cheating kids are now adults, raising a new generation of cheaters. Just ask Don McCabe at Rutgers University who was a guest on the TAA radio show back in 2010.

So as I read through my Google alerts yesterday morning, a new article on “trust” popped up. I read it, read it again, and then read it for the third time, assuming I was missing the most important component, the credit to the original author. Someone who is, ironically, on the faculty of the same university cited above, and who until yesterday I had no reason to believe was untrustworthy or had “wandering eyes” decided that plagiarism and copyright rules only apply to other people. I think I remember that  same “guy” sitting next to me in high school english class!

For those who know me, I have never said “No” to anyone who asks to republish or repurpose anything I have written, as I am a believer in the power of collaboration, especially when tackling a complex subject such as “trust.”  But this particular person forgot to ask permission, or perhaps thought he wouldn’t get caught. Instead, he threw me a bone with a brief mention of TAA (no link), and then proceeded to lift almost his entire article from this blog post with no attribution.

If you’ve never  looked up the definition of  “plagiarism,” according to Merriam-Webster.com it is:

“The act of using another person’s words or ideas without giving credit to that person : the act of plagiarizing something”

And for those who don’t know the definition of “copyright”, also from Merriam-Webster.com:

“The exclusive legal right to reproduce, publish, sell, or distribute the matter and form of something (as a literary, musical, or artistic work)”

It’s Friday so this is a bit of a light hearted post, sharing a peek behind the curtain and into my life.

I have two sons who, without a doubt, are my proudest accomplishments. My younger son is a senior in high school and heading off to college in a year. This summer, he and has friends have been using my kitchen as a laboratory of sorts. Their goal is to master a recipe for the perfect glass of lemonade. This experiment has been ongoing for almost a month and each batch is getting better. I’ve been appointed “Chief Taste Tester,” a new title to add to my resume! (I’m also the one who mops the floor when they are done.)

Yesterday I was working from my home office, right above the kitchen and heard some quiet conversation below. I went downstairs and found four boys busy perfecting their craft. Each one had a job (washing, juicing, mixing, pouring) and the ongoing conversation had little to do with the task at hand, but instead was focused on the upcoming soccer game on TV. I could not identify a leader or boss.  The scene reminded me of a well-rehearsed Broadway show. All the actors came together naturally with no missteps and nobody shouting orders.

These boys have known each other since kindergarten and have grown up together as friends. What do they have in common?

• To start with, lots of history, similar demographics, and years to build trust
• Strong family values
• There’s not a single female among their siblings
• None are the first-born.

Perhaps these similar attributes don’t have a thing to do with their ability to work together in such a natural way, but my guess is some, or maybe all of them play a role.

Now let’s redirect this post to the time and money organizations spend on team building exercises, employee engagement programs, leadership training and culture change.

Maybe instead, they should simply make lemonade.

The next time you want to engage your team, buy a few bags of lemons, some sugar, and step back.  You have set up a powerful learning experiment in trust building and teamwork. The observations and conclusions may prove to be far more valuable than the ingredients purchased.  Compare the results to my experience. How are they similar? How do they differ? What’s working fine? What’s not? Let me know how it goes, and don’t forget to send me your recipe.

Barbara Brooks Kimmel is the Executive Director of Trust Across America-Trust Around the World whose mission is to help organizations build trust. She is also the editor of the award winning TRUST INC. book series. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International.

. 

Feel free to leave a comment or drop her a note at Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

.

Copyright © 2014, Next Decade, Inc.

Yesterday I wrote about a commonly repeated expression “Trust Takes Years to Build But Can Be Lost In a Second” and why I believe that it doesn’t always hold true.  Then late in the afternoon I saw another interesting and somewhat popular statement “Character, Either You Have it Or You Don’t.”

The actual quote is credited to Anthony Bourdain.

“Skills can be taught. Character you either have or you don’t have.”

― Anthony Bourdain, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly

Sorry, but again I have to disagree. Character is a learned trait. It is a skill that can be honed throughout life.  It’s built from our earliest experiences, our family values and the influence of our childhood friends. In other words, it’s mostly “nurture” not “nature.”

Michael Josephson (Josephson Institute) created a popular youth-centered program called Character Counts. His framework contains basic values called the Six Pillars of Character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. The program has been working effectively for decades. I like that the first pillar is trustworthiness.

So it seems that character is really a lifelong learning opportunity for those with an open mind and a motivation to elevate it. With the right mentor, the right leader, the right boss, the right spouse, the right friends, character can be learned and perfected throughout life. There is no deadline for developing character.

Imagine if C-Suite compensation was partially based on an annual character test! Would we see a sudden and positive shift in the way businesses are run? What do you think?

Barbara Brooks Kimmel is the Executive Director of Trust Across America-Trust Around the World whose mission is to help organizations build trust. She is also the editor of the award winning TRUST INC. book series. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International.

. 

Yesterday at lunch my colleague made a statement I hear rather frequently.

“It takes years to build trust but it can be destroyed in a second.”

I don’t agree.

A person with high integrity, a leader with outstanding character, an organization that has committed the time to build a trust bank account will not have trust destroyed as quickly as those who haven’t.

Yes, trust building takes time.  In the long run it’s worth it. Your next misstep (and we all make them) may not be the one that brings down the house.

Why not start today?

What do you think? Leave your comments below or  send them along.

Email: barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Barbara Brooks Kimmel is the Executive Director of Trust Across America-Trust Around the World whose mission is to help organizations build trust. She is also the editor of the award winning TRUST INC. book series. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International.

. 

This morning, Seth Godin’s daily blog  “Beware the Zeitgeister” caught my attention and got me thinking.

From my bird’s eye perch, it appears that in certain circles “trust” has become quite the fashion statement in 2014. With increasing frequency, I read about the importance of trust from outside experts in leadership, teamwork, culture, innovation, engagement and many other disciplines.  But there is a very large (and perhaps the most important) stakeholder group missing from the conversation.

Can you name it? It’s senior leadership.

Last week I did an exhaustive search in an attempt to find examples of corporate leaders proactively talking about trust.

This is what I was able to find:

Lloyd’s CEO to Discuss Leadership and Rebuilding Trust

Dennis Lally of PWC on Rebuilding Trust from Value to Values

Marillyn Hewson, CEO Lockheed Martin on The First Thing a New Leader Should Do to Build Trust

and finally, IBM’s CEO Visits China for Trust Building Talks

Returning to Seth’s blog, while there are lots of examples of senior leaders “Zeitgeisting” trust after their company’s latest crisis, why do they hesitate to proactively embrace it as a way to do business?

While many of the right people are beginning to focus on the importance of trust in all aspects of business, we’ve yet to get “buy in” from those who could benefit the most.

What will it take?

Do you have more examples of senior leadership talking about trust? Please send them along.

Email: barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Barbara Brooks Kimmel is the Executive Director of Trust Across America-Trust Around the World whose mission is to help organizations build trust. She is also the editor of the award winning TRUST INC. book series. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International.

. 

How Much Does Trust Matter?

Earlier this week, in a blog post called Trust: The Direct Route to Profitability we updated our ongoing research on the Business Case for Trust. This post takes a closer look at the impact of our trust research on two companies in similar businesses.

Every year my friend and colleague Laura Rittenhouse at Rittenhouse Rankings releases her CEO Candor Survey equating candor with better stock performance. Laura’s work enhances our FACTS® Framework and has heightened my awareness of the manner in which CEOs choose to portray their companies in their annual letters to shareholders.

So on this rainy 4^th of July, I decided to take a closer look at two companies in the Business Services (Staffing) Sector. Trust Across America’s (TAA) database contains a total of seven companies in this group. Manpower Inc. received the distinction of being named the Most Trustworthy Public Company 2013 by TAA. The lowest scoring company in the sector is Resources Connection, Inc.

Should you choose, you can read the CEO letters to shareholders at the links below.  The contrast is striking in both content and candor. You can also compare the investment performance of the two companies over the past 5 years.

MANPOWER  (FACTS® Score 70)

www.manpower.ch/fileadmin/user_upload/documents/Manpower/Annual_Report_MP_Inc/ManpowerGroup_Interactive_Annual_Report_2013.pdf

RESOURCES CONNECTION (FACTS® Score 42)

files.shareholder.com/downloads/RECN/3301951960x0x691297/5E63377E-98B5-4C22-9178-DA764B98C139/2013_Annual_Report.RECN.pdf

Is there a correlation between trust, values and company performance? What role does the CEO play in building a trustworthy culture?  In which company would you rather invest? Please share your comments and suggestions!

Email: barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Barbara Brooks Kimmel is the Executive Director of Trust Across America-Trust Around the World whose mission is to help organizations build trust. She is also the editor of the award winning TRUST INC. book series. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International.

.