Archive

Posts Tagged ‘trust across america’

Aug
15

(Trust) Communication & The Hiring Process

No commentsArticles written by expertsAugust 15th, 2014

TAA_R2_EDIT-CS3

 

Late last year Trust Across America-Trust Around the World  published the first in a planned series of award-winning books.  TRUST INC., Strategies for Building Your Company’s Most Valuable Asset brings together the wisdom of 32 experts. Six months later we released our second book, Trust Inc. A Guide for Boards & C-Suites. In this book, sixty experts have joined forces to offer 100 strategies.

Throughout the month of August, we will be featuring 31 essays from our second book. Each stands alone as an excellent resource in guiding Boards and C-Suites on driving a trust agenda at the highest level in the organization, and provides tools for those who choose to implement trust-building programs in their organization.

This fifteenth essay in our series brings advice from Lea Brovedani the President of Sagacity Consulting. Lea’s work focuses on trust through the lens of Emotional and Social Intelligence in business and education. Her book TRUSTED – A Leaders Lesson was published in March 2013. She is a preferred partner with 6 Seconds, a Professional Speaker who travels throughout North America and a master facilitator delivering Train the Trainer programs.

Communication and the Hiring Process

If you want employees to trust the new leader they need to be involved with the hiring. (Article by Dr. Dana Ardi)

Employees should be given as much information as possible on what is happening during the hiring in the C-suite. Yet there are times when every decision can’t be shared, but even that needs to be communicated. Share what you can when you can, and also explain why you can’t.

Listen to what employees have to say. If they have made suggestions that were ignored let them know why. If you don’t, the message that is sent is “I don’t trust or like the quality of your input.” Share why you chose not to follow their advice, whatever the reason.

Communication is an essential skill for trusted leaders and for board members. Communicate that you care by listening and talking to people. Be consistent in the message, committed to communicate not once but until there is understanding and competence in how the message is delivered.

 

I hope you have enjoyed this next sneak peak into our second book. If this brief look behind the door has been helpful, follow this link to order both of our books online.

And for those who want to catch up on the series, a quick reference on what’s been covered so far this month:

August 1: There’s a Reason Why We Call Them Trustees explains why being an “absentee landlord” doesn’t work.

August 2: Kill the Evening Before Dinner and take a small group of front line employees to dinner instead.

August 3: In Head of Business- Hope for the World we introduce the Winston “V” Model.

August 4: Reputation vs. Trust and why leaders should care more about the latter.

August 5: C-Suite Must Speak With a V.O.I.C.E. of Trust, a new communications model.

August 6: It Ain’t What You Do (It’s the Way You Do It) discusses an organization’s core values and traits.

August 7: Superficial CEOs and Their Boards talks about the fiduciary responsibility of board members.

August 8: Headline: Be the Leaders Others Will Follow we learn about consistency between actions and words.

August 9: Towards a Mindset for Corporate Responsibility requiring a shift in mindset on the part of boards.

August 10: Warning: Don’t Drown in the Slogan Swamp explores the (mis)use of slogans in corporate America.

August 11: Trust in the Boardroom in creating competitive advantage.

August 12: Three Ways to Build Trust  and organization that are blind to the dialogue.

August 13: Lead from the Front explains why it’s important to remove the filters between leaders and employees.

August 14: Building Trust For Boards & C-Suites and why published scientific evidence is important.

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.

. PrintND Trust CEO cvr 140602-ft

Should you wish to communicate directly with Barbara, drop her a note at Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Copyright © 2014, Next Decade, Inc.

, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Aug
14

Building Trust for Boards & C-Suites

No commentsArticles written by expertsAugust 14th, 2014

TAA_R2_EDIT-CS3

 

Late last year Trust Across America-Trust Around the World  published the first in a planned series of award-winning books.  TRUST INC., Strategies for Building Your Company’s Most Valuable Asset brings together the wisdom of 32 experts. Six months later we released our second book, Trust Inc. A Guide for Boards & C-Suites. In this book, sixty experts have joined forces to offer 100 strategies.

Throughout the month of August, we will be featuring 31 essays from our second book. Each stands alone as an excellent resource in guiding Boards and C-Suites on driving a trust agenda at the highest level in the organization, and provides tools for those who choose to implement trust-building programs in their organization.

This fourteenth essay in our series brings advice from  Dr. Roger C. Mayer, a Professor in the Department of Management, Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Poole College of Management at North Carolina State University.  His research is focused on employee decision-making, attitudes and effectiveness. A leading scholar on trust in organizations, his research has been published in many premiere scholarly journals and has been cited thousands of times in the published literature across a wide variety of fields. Dr. Mayer is also a 2014 Top Thought Leader in Trustworthy Business.

Building Trust for Boards and C-Suites

There is very little published scientific evidence showing trust in a company actually being improved. In 1999, Roger C. Mayer & James H. Davis published a longitudinal field study in Journal of Applied Psychology showing that trust in top management was indeed increased. Data was collected by university researchers that established a baseline for trust, and identified reasons that employees may lack trust in the company’s management. In the studied company’s case, a new performance appraisal system was warranted. The company implemented a new appraisal system that met the demands of the situation, and employees who experienced the new system firsthand increased in their levels of trust in management.

Many university trust researchers around the globe have the expertise to collect trust data, provide feedback about how to increase trust, and scientifically track the success of the attempt. Without such tracking, it is easy for managers to claim improvement in the workplace without accountability. Involving university researchers in the process has major advantages. They can (and must) guarantee employees confidentiality, which makes it safe for employees to be completely candid. This allows for tracking each individual’s responses from one survey to the next, which is far more powerful at detecting real changes in trust levels than is the use of anonymous surveys. University researchers are interested in scientific discovery, most are willing to engage companies for minimal costs provided they can publish their findings—also in a way that protects the identities of the employees and the companies themselves.

I hope you have enjoyed this next sneak peak into our second book. If this brief look behind the door has been helpful, follow this link to order both of our books online.

And for those who want to catch up on the series, a quick reference on what’s been covered so far this month:

August 1: There’s a Reason Why We Call Them Trustees explains why being an “absentee landlord” doesn’t work.

August 2: Kill the Evening Before Dinner and take a small group of front line employees to dinner instead.

August 3: In Head of Business- Hope for the World we introduce the Winston “V” Model.

August 4: Reputation vs. Trust and why leaders should care more about the latter.

August 5: C-Suite Must Speak With a V.O.I.C.E. of Trust, a new communications model.

August 6: It Ain’t What You Do (It’s the Way You Do It) discusses an organization’s core values and traits.

August 7: Superficial CEOs and Their Boards talks about the fiduciary responsibility of board members.

August 8: Headline: Be the Leaders Others Will Follow we learn about consistency between actions and words.

August 9: Towards a Mindset for Corporate Responsibility requiring a shift in mindset on the part of boards.

August 10: Warning: Don’t Drown in the Slogan Swamp explores the (mis)use of slogans in corporate America.

August 11: Trust in the Boardroom in creating competitive advantage.

August 12: Three Ways to Build Trust  and organization that are blind to the dialogue.

August 13: Lead from the Front explains why it’s important to remove the filters between leaders and employees.

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.

. PrintND Trust CEO cvr 140602-ft

Should you wish to communicate directly with Barbara, drop her a note at Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Copyright © 2014, Next Decade, Inc.

, , , , , , , , ,

Aug
13

Lead From the Front

No commentsArticles written by expertsAugust 13th, 2014

TAA_R2_EDIT-CS3

 

Late last year Trust Across America-Trust Around the World  published the first in a planned series of award-winning books.  TRUST INC., Strategies for Building Your Company’s Most Valuable Asset brings together the wisdom of 32 experts. Six months later we released our second book, Trust Inc. A Guide for Boards & C-Suites. In this book, sixty experts have joined forces to offer 100 strategies.

Throughout the month of August, we will be featuring 31 essays from our second book. Each stands alone as an excellent resource in guiding Boards and C-Suites on driving a trust agenda at the highest level in the organization, and provides tools for those who choose to implement trust-building programs in their organization.

This thirteenth essay in our series brings advice from  Joe Anderson, a retired Marine Officer.  Joe has held executive operations roles in Fortune 500 companies, been a business owner and is currently a Partner at Anderson Performance Partners LLC, working with organizations to improve business operations, processes and leadership. Joe works with organizations to uncover opportunities, and resolve challenges that organizations are sometimes too close to see. He has a successful track record in developing effective business leadership and business processes throughout organizations.

 

Lead from the Front

As a leader, you can’t ask an employee to do something you wouldn’t be willing to do.

When I was a U. S. Marine, both as an enlisted Marine and an Officer, a fundamental element of leadership was that leaders lead from the front, not from behind. If you’re going to ask a young PFC to lead on point, then you should be right there with him. If not there, he should know that you have been there. Showing that you care for your people and are willing to share their hardship builds trust and camaraderie between the leader and those they lead.

As a business leader, I found that far too many “leaders” led from their desk and had no idea about what their folks were doing or how they did it. A practice I implemented in the companies I’ve led was leading by wandering around, taking the time to sit with folks in their work area, learn what they did, how they did it and why. It seemed odd to new teams at first, wondering why I spent so much time away from my desk. My response was simple, my job is to lead and you lead from the front. If I ask you to do something, I should be willing to be a partner in understanding what you are doing, how you are doing it and what you face.

The practice served me well. I have never had filters between my employees and me, which has allowed me to be very connected to them, their work and their challenges.

 

I hope you have enjoyed this next sneak peak into our second book. If this brief look behind the door has been helpful, follow this link to order both of our books online.

And for those who want to catch up on the series, a quick reference on what’s been covered so far this month:

August 1: There’s a Reason Why We Call Them Trustees explains why being an “absentee landlord” doesn’t work.

August 2: Kill the Evening Before Dinner and take a small group of front line employees to dinner instead.

August 3: In Head of Business- Hope for the World we introduce the Winston “V” Model.

August 4: Reputation vs. Trust and why leaders should care more about the latter.

August 5: C-Suite Must Speak With a V.O.I.C.E. of Trust, a new communications model.

August 6: It Ain’t What You Do (It’s the Way You Do It) discusses an organization’s core values and traits.

August 7: Superficial CEOs and Their Boards talks about the fiduciary responsibility of board members.

August 8: Headline: Be the Leaders Others Will Follow we learn about consistency between actions and words.

August 9: Towards a Mindset for Corporate Responsibility requiring a shift in mindset on the part of boards.

August 10: Warning: Don’t Drown in the Slogan Swamp explores the (mis)use of slogans in corporate America.

August 11: Trust in the Boardroom in creating competitive advantage.

August 12: Three Ways to Build Trust  and organization that are blind to the dialogue.

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.

. PrintND Trust CEO cvr 140602-ft

Should you wish to communicate directly with Barbara, drop her a note at Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Copyright © 2014, Next Decade, Inc.

, , , , , , , , ,

Aug
12

Three Ways to Build Trust

No commentsArticles written by expertsAugust 12th, 2014

ND Trust CEO cvr 140602-ft

 

Late last year Trust Across America-Trust Around the World  published the first in a planned series of award-winning books.  TRUST INC., Strategies for Building Your Company’s Most Valuable Asset brings together the wisdom of 32 experts. Six months later we released our second book, Trust Inc. A Guide for Boards & C-Suites. In this book, sixty experts have joined forces to offer 100 strategies.

Throughout the month of August, we will be featuring 31 essays from our second book. Each stands alone as an excellent resource in guiding Boards and C-Suites on driving a trust agenda at the highest level in the organization, and provides tools for those who choose to implement trust-building programs in their organization.

This twelfth essay in our series brings advice from  Linda Locke, a corporate reputation management expert and Senior Vice President at Standing Partnership. Locke previously served as the group head and senior vice president for Reputation and Issues Management for MasterCard Worldwide. Linda is a 2014 Top Thought Leader in Trustworthy Business and a member of the Alliance of Trustworthy Business Experts.

 

Three Ways to Build Trust

Trust-building is not a one-way road. I wish I had a dollar bill – okay a $50 bill – for every organization that asked me to improve perceptions by changing its name, buying advertising, or writing checks to charities.

Trust is the currency of organizational success. Strong trust enables organizations to achieve their goals; lack of trust can make it impossible. Trust can be built or destroyed several ways.

Direct experiences: Examine the experiences people have with your organization. Is customer service satisfying? Do you embrace every touch point as an opportunity to build trust through engagement? Or, are customer service calls an irritant? At the end of each engagement would the customer agree that his or her perspective was important?

What others say: In a connected world we are influenced by strangers. We actively seek input from people we think share our perspective or needs – including from legacy media, on networks and forums, and in conversations with our friends. A company that wants to build trust should listen to the public dialogue about itself and its industry, identify what drives perceptions, and share information throughout the organization to influence decision-making.

What the organization says about itself: The company’s leaders and spokespeople should articulate (authentically) the positive impact their work has on society. In times of crisis they should express empathy and commitment to resolving the situation.

People expect organizations to be savvy about the conversation going on around it. Organizations that are blind to the dialogue, and only communicate outward are unlikely to build and maintain the trust required to be a respected and trusted business in the modern world.

I hope you have enjoyed this next sneak peak into our second book. If this brief look behind the door has been helpful, follow this link to order both of our books online.

And for those who want to catch up on the series, a quick reference on what’s been covered so far this month:

August 1: There’s a Reason Why We Call Them Trustees explains why being an “absentee landlord” doesn’t work.

August 2: Kill the Evening Before Dinner and take a small group of front line employees to dinner instead.

August 3: In Head of Business- Hope for the World we introduce the Winston “V” Model.

August 4: Reputation vs. Trust and why leaders should care more about the latter.

August 5: C-Suite Must Speak With a V.O.I.C.E. of Trust, a new communications model.

August 6: It Ain’t What You Do (It’s the Way You Do It) discusses an organization’s core values and traits.

August 7: Superficial CEOs and Their Boards talks about the fiduciary responsibility of board members.

August 8: Headline: Be the Leaders Others Will Follow we learn about consistency between actions and words.

August 9: Towards a Mindset for Corporate Responsibility requiring a shift in mindset on the part of boards.

August 10: Warning: Don’t Drown in the Slogan Swamp explores the (mis)use of slogans in corporate America.

August 11: Trust in the Boardroom in creating competitive advantage.

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.

. PrintND Trust CEO cvr 140602-ft

Should you wish to communicate directly with Barbara, drop her a note at Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Copyright © 2014, Next Decade, Inc.

 

, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Aug
11

Trust & the Elusive Zucchini

No commentsArticles written by expertsAugust 11th, 2014

TAA_R2_EDIT-CS3

 

It’s that time of summer again when my garden runneth over with every vegetable imaginable…. except zucchini. It’s not that I don’t attempt to grow it each year, the plants just NEVER produce any fruit. Truthfully, I don’t like zucchini unless it’s deep fried (which I won’t do) or made into bread (which is too much work.)

My neighbor likes zucchini. This is what he delivered from his garden to my kitchen.

Zucchini

 

So what does all this have to do with trust?

Organizations take trust for granted. Leaders assume trust just happens. But for organizations to be trustworthy and for stakeholders to trust them, trust must be cultivated.  If it’s ignored or overlooked, if it’s not appreciated, if the weeds aren’t pulled, trust will not flourish. In the short term, the organization, like the zucchini may produce some nice leaves and yellow flowers but ultimately, it will wither on the vine before achieving it’s objective.

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.

. PrintND Trust CEO cvr 140602-ft

Should you wish to communicate directly with Barbara, drop her a note at Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Copyright © 2014, Next Decade, Inc.

 

, , , , , , ,

Aug
11

Trust in the Boardroom

No commentsArticles written by expertsAugust 11th, 2014

TAA_R2_EDIT-CS3

 

Late last year Trust Across America-Trust Around the World  published the first in a planned series of award-winning books.  TRUST INC., Strategies for Building Your Company’s Most Valuable Asset brings together the wisdom of 32 experts. Six months later we released our second book, Trust Inc. A Guide for Boards & C-Suites. In this book, sixty experts have joined forces to offer 100 strategies.

Throughout the month of August, we will be featuring 31 essays from our second book. Each stands alone as an excellent resource in guiding Boards and C-Suites on driving a trust agenda at the highest level in the organization, and provides tools for those who choose to implement trust-building programs in their organization.

This eleventh essay in our series brings advice from Finland. Taina Savolainen is a Professor of Management and Leadership at the University of Eastern Finland, Business School and leader of the research group of Trust within Organizations. She is a trust trainer and educator focusing on inter-personal trust building skills.

Trust in the Boardroom

Competitive advantages strongly rest on creating and sharing knowledge in the boardroom where trust plays a significant role as an influential intangible asset for executives. Trust is a powerful resource for creating and facilitating cooperation between board members, CEO, etc. Managing trust successfully is a vital skill for senior executives. According to the recent report “The Trust Deficit”, on the views from the board room, interviewed business leaders were explicit that, not only was trust an important issue for business in general, but that it was particularly important for senior executives. Making trust-based judgments was thought to be an important skill for all in business. Business leaders felt the importance of this ability increased at higher levels within a business. Making trust-based decisions was seen as an especially important skill for business leaders, but also as an important responsibility discharged by board members (p. 24). Trustworthiness in business was expressed by one Chairman as follows “Trustworthy means, if you say you’re going to do something, you do it, and you don’t ever claim to be capable of doing something you’re not capable of, and if something goes wrong, you fix it…” (p. 14) ( Chairman, FTSE 250, The Trust Deficit: Views from the Boardroom.)    

 

I hope you have enjoyed this next sneak peak into our second book. If this brief look behind the door has been helpful, follow this link to order both of our books online.

And for those who want to catch up on the series, a quick reference on what’s been covered so far this month:

August 1: There’s a Reason Why We Call Them Trustees explains why being an “absentee landlord” doesn’t work.

August 2: Kill the Evening Before Dinner and take a small group of front line employees to dinner instead.

August 3: In Head of Business- Hope for the World we introduce the Winston “V” Model.

August 4: Reputation vs. Trust and why leaders should care more about the latter.

August 5: C-Suite Must Speak With a V.O.I.C.E. of Trust, a new communications model.

August 6: It Ain’t What You Do (It’s the Way You Do It) discusses an organization’s core values and traits.

August 7: Superficial CEOs and Their Boards talks about the fiduciary responsibility of board members.

August 8: Headline: Be the Leaders Others Will Follow we learn about consistency between actions and words.

August 9: Towards a Mindset for Corporate Responsibility requiring a shift in mindset on the part of boards.

August 10: Warning: Don’t Drown in the Slogan Swamp explores the (mis)use of slogans in corporate America.

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.

. PrintND Trust CEO cvr 140602-ft

Should you wish to communicate directly with Barbara, drop her a note at Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Copyright © 2014, Next Decade, Inc.

 

, , , , , , , , , ,

Aug
10

Warning: Don’t Drown in the Slogan Swamp

No commentsArticles written by expertsAugust 10th, 2014

TAA_R2_EDIT-CS3

 

Late last year Trust Across America-Trust Around the World  published the first in a planned series of award-winning books.  TRUST INC., Strategies for Building Your Company’s Most Valuable Asset brings together the wisdom of 32 experts. Six months later we released our second book, Trust Inc. A Guide for Boards & C-Suites. In this book, sixty experts have joined forces to offer 100 strategies.

Throughout the month of August, we will be featuring 31 essays from our second book. Each stands alone as an excellent resource in guiding Boards and C-Suites on driving a trust agenda at the highest level in the organization, and provides tools for those who choose to implement trust-building programs in their organization.

This tenth essay in our series brings advice from Israel and my friend Lilach Felner, a Marketing Consultant helping companies become trustworthy. She has developed the Trust-based Strategy Model that was included in an essay written by Patricia Aburdene contained in our book, Trust Inc. Strategies for Building Your Company’s Most Valuable Asset.  She is also the Founder of I Trust U. itrustu.biz 

Warning: Don’t Drown in the Slogan Swamp Given deterioration in consumer trust, we are witnessing more and more activities and initiatives coming from organizations and brands regarding the trend I’ve called “FOR THE” (for the community, for the environment, for the weak). In today’s atmosphere, terms like Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporate Citizenship, Sustainable Responsible Business, Environmental Sustainability, are popping up like mushrooms.

But these beautiful initiatives can sometimes turn into a threatening danger. A danger I call “The Trap of Drowning into Slogans” When can this danger occur? In order to answer this critical question, we have to look in the mirror in the most sincere way and examine the real motive for these acts:

  • Were they initiated because of our incompetence in dealing with the crisis in trust emanating from our consumers?
  • Were they initiated as an alternative tool to our traditional marketing tools that have been tainted by consumers who consider these tools to be manipulative, self-interested and exploitative?
  • Were they initiated only to distract consumers from ethical questions posed by our core operations?If the answer to these questions is YES, then we are deeply stuck in the “Slogan Swamp”.Our consumers are smart and clever and are telling us: “NO MORE”. No more lies. No more tricks. No more masks.As long as we don’t change something from within, as long as we keep on pretending, keep on lying to ourselves, we will keep on drowning in this downward swamp.

 I hope you have enjoyed this next sneak peak into our second book. If this brief look behind the door has been helpful, follow this link to order both of our books online.

And for those who want to catch up on the series, a quick reference on what’s been covered so far this month:

August 1: There’s a Reason Why We Call Them Trustees explains why being an “absentee landlord” doesn’t work.

August 2: Kill the Evening Before Dinner and take a small group of front line employees to dinner instead.

August 3: In Head of Business- Hope for the World we introduce the Winston “V” Model.

August 4: Reputation vs. Trust and why leaders should care more about the latter.

August 5: C-Suite Must Speak With a V.O.I.C.E. of Trust, a new communications model.

August 6: It Ain’t What You Do (It’s the Way You Do It) discusses an organization’s core values and traits.

August 7: Superficial CEOs and Their Boards talks about the fiduciary responsibility of board members.

August 8: Headline: Be the Leaders Others Will Follow we learn about consistency between actions and words.

August 9: Towards a Mindset for Corporate Responsibility requiring a shift in mindset on the part of boards.

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.

. PrintND Trust CEO cvr 140602-ft

Should you wish to communicate directly with Barbara, drop her a note at Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Copyright © 2014, Next Decade, Inc.

, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Aug
09

Towards a Board Mindset for Corporate Sustainability

No commentsArticles written by expertsAugust 9th, 2014

TAA_R2_EDIT-CS3

 

 

Late last year Trust Across America-Trust Around the World  published the first in a planned series of award-winning books.  TRUST INC., Strategies for Building Your Company’s Most Valuable Asset brings together the wisdom of 32 experts. Six months later we released our second book, Trust Inc. A Guide for Boards & C-Suites. In this book, sixty experts have joined forces to offer 100 strategies.

Throughout the month of August, we will be featuring 31 essays from our second book. Each stands alone as an excellent resource in guiding Boards and C-Suites on driving a trust agenda at the highest level in the organization, and provides tools for those who choose to implement trust-building programs in their organization.

This ninth essay in our series brings advice from Professor David Grayson CBE, Director the Doughty Centre for Corporate Responsibility, Cranfield School of Management, UK. Professor Grayson was named a 2014 Top Thought Leader in Trustworthy Business.

Towards a Board Mindset for Corporate Sustainability

To restore trust, boards must discharge their responsibility for the company’s Social, Environmental and Economic Impacts (Corporate Responsibility). For many companies and boards, however, there is still a critical mind-set shift that has to occur. Specifically, the shift from the idea of boards as mentors or monitors, stewards or auditors, to mentors and monitors, stewards and auditors. And a second shift from the idea of corporate responsibility as being about risk mitigation to the recognition that to be truly embedded, it has to become both risk mitigation and opportunity maximization: not minimizing negative Social, Environmental and Economic Impacts, but also maximizing the positive impacts.

The board sustainability mindset, therefore, can be defined as:

A collectively held view that long-term value-creation requires the company to embrace the risks and opportunities of sustainable development; and that the board are simultaneously mentors and monitors, stewards and auditors of the management in their commitment to corporate responsibility and sustainability.

Corporate responsibility and sustainability leadership and stewardship currently tends to come from the chairman or CEO or another board member, rather than yet being a collective mind-set of the board as a whole. Boards need to assess whether they have a Sustainability Mindset and, if not, identify how to create one perhaps through board away-days, scenarios presentations, creating a board sustainability advisory panel, and board recruitment, training and Continuous Professional Development, and appraisals. (Taken from Towards a Board Mindset for Corporate Sustainability, Jan 2013.)

 I hope you have enjoyed this next sneak peak into our second book. If this brief look behind the door has been helpful, follow this link to order both of our books online.

And for those who want to catch up on the series, a quick reference on what’s been covered so far this month:

August 1: There’s a Reason Why We Call Them Trustees explains why being an “absentee landlord” doesn’t work.

August 2: Kill the Evening Before Dinner and take a small group of front line employees to dinner instead.

August 3: In Head of Business- Hope for the World we introduce the Winston “V” Model.

August 4: Reputation vs. Trust and why leaders should care more about the latter.

August 5: C-Suite Must Speak With a V.O.I.C.E. of Trust, a new communications model.

August 6: It Ain’t What You Do (It’s the Way You Do It) discusses an organization’s core values and traits.

August 7: Superficial CEOs and Their Boards talks about the fiduciary responsibility of board members.

August 8: Headline: Be the Leaders Others Will Follow we learn about consistency between actions and words.

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.

. PrintND Trust CEO cvr 140602-ft

Should you wish to communicate directly with Barbara, drop her a note at Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Copyright © 2014, Next Decade, Inc.

 

 

 

, , , , , , , , , , ,

Aug
08

Headline: Be the Leader Others Will Follow

1 CommentArticles written by expertsAugust 8th, 2014

TAA_R2_EDIT-CS3

 

 

Late last year Trust Across America-Trust Around the World  published the first in a planned series of award-winning books.  TRUST INC., Strategies for Building Your Company’s Most Valuable Asset brings together the wisdom of 32 experts. Six months later we released our second book, Trust Inc. A Guide for Boards & C-Suites. In this book, sixty experts have joined forces to offer 100 strategies.

Throughout the month of August, we will be featuring 31 essays from our second book. Each stands alone as an excellent resource in guiding Boards and C-Suites on driving a trust agenda at the highest level in the organization, and provides tools for those who choose to implement trust-building programs in their organization.

This eighth essay in our series brings pearls of wisdom from  Davis Young, a public relations counselor and author of Trust is the Tiebreaker.  In collaboration with client Revco Drug Stores, he received the best of Silver Anvil Award from the Public Relations Society of America for the single finest program of the year nationally.

Headline: Be the Leader Others Will Follow

Leaders of organizations are role models – either good or bad.

If they cut corners, their people will cut corners.

If they wink at bad practices, their managers will wink, too.

If they verbally abuse colleagues, others will follow their lead.

If they focus only on today and ignore tomorrow, associates will do the same.

If they think public relations is some sort of game to “spin” information, they will encourage others to be less than truthful.

If they do any or all of these things, they will detract from respect and therefore their ability to lead.

Make sure your personal brand stands for something. To do that, ask yourself these questions. Here’s a short list to start.

Do I always make decisions based on what’s best for the company?

Am I consistent and even-handed?

Am I clear and direct in interactions with associates?

Am I fair-minded?

Do I hold myself to the same high standards I set for others?

Do I listen well?

Would I rather be liked or respected?

Am I a good role model?        

Personal brand building starts with the right answers to those questions. If you really want to lead, take those questions seriously.When leaders pay attention to their personal brands, organizations have a much better chance to flourish. Trust in leadership builds when actions are consistent with words.

 I hope you have enjoyed this next sneak peak into our second book. If this brief look behind the door has been helpful, follow this link to order both of our books online.
And for those who want to catch up on the series, a quick reference on what’s been covered so far this month:

August 1: There’s a Reason Why We Call Them Trustees explains why being an “absentee landlord” doesn’t work.

August 2: Kill the Evening Before Dinner and take a small group of front line employees to dinner instead.

August 3: In Head of Business- Hope for the World we introduce the Winston “V” Model.

August 4: Reputation vs. Trust and why leaders should care more about the latter.

August 5: C-Suite Must Speak With a V.O.I.C.E. of Trust, a new communications model

August 6: It Ain’t What You Do (It’s the Way You Do It) discusses an organization’s core values and traits

August 7: Superficial CEOs and Their Boards talks about the fiduciary responsibility of board members.

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.

. PrintND Trust CEO cvr 140602-ft

Should you wish to communicate directly with Barbara, drop her a note at Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Copyright © 2014, Next Decade, Inc.

 

 

 

, , , , , , , , , , ,

Aug
07

Superficial CEOs and Their Boards

No commentsArticles written by expertsAugust 7th, 2014

TAA_R2_EDIT-CS3

 

 

Late last year Trust Across America-Trust Around the World  published the first in a planned series of award-winning books.  TRUST INC., Strategies for Building Your Company’s Most Valuable Asset brings together the wisdom of 32 experts. Six months later we released our second book, Trust Inc. A Guide for Boards & C-Suites. In this book, sixty experts have joined forces to offer 100 strategies.

Throughout the month of August, we will be featuring 31 essays from our second book. Each stands alone as an excellent resource in guiding Boards and C-Suites on driving a trust agenda at the highest level in the organization, and provides tools for those who choose to implement trust-building programs in their organization.

The seventh essay in our series brings advice from Carol Anderson, a Principal at Anderson Performance Partners LLC who blogs at The Intersection Blog, where she shares experiences and ideas for intersecting learning with continuous performance improvement. Anderson Performance Partners LLC is a certified woman/veteran-owned business, working with organizations to facilitate problem solving through workforce energy and innovation. She has experience in human resources leadership in government, retail, consulting services, financial services and healthcare, and a bias for positioning human resources as a business partner that adds real value. Carol is also a member of the Alliance of Trustworthy Business Experts (ATBE)

Superficial CEOs and Their Boards

After several months of sitting in Board Compensation Committee meetings as an internal executive comp consultant, I noticed something a little troubling.  The CEO told the Committee exactly what he wanted them to know.  And they never asked questions, or probed for deeper information.  What the CEO wanted them to know was superficial.  It became even more evident that he was staying at the 30,000 foot level (everything’s great) as the stock price plummeted and the economy was tanking.

It was an interesting lesson for me.  As I watched, month after month, the financials sink further and further from target, and as I listened to the justification as to why the executive incentive targets should be adjusted or key talent would leave at this critical time, I squirmed.

Where were these highly paid, intelligent, experienced board members?  They read the papers like we did, and they had insider information on what was happening in the organization.  But they never asked a pointed question.  Oh they asked some superficial questions of the CEO, which he answered with his usual panache, and then they approved the restructuring of the targets. 

I wanted to ask the questions myself, even knowing the answers but obviously thought better of that.  I thought about grabbing someone during a break and throwing them a question to ask, but thought better of that too.  So, as the economy slid further in 2008, the organization ultimately went bankrupt.

We all know that a board member has a fiduciary responsibility to the organization, but I wonder if all board members really understand what that means.

I hope you have enjoyed this next sneak peak into our second book. If this brief look behind the door has been helpful, follow this link to order both of our books online.

And for those who want to catch up on the series, a quick reference on what’s been covered so far this month:

August 1: There’s a Reason Why We Call Them Trustees explains why being an “absentee landlord” doesn’t work.

August 2: Kill the Evening Before Dinner and take a small group of front line employees to dinner instead.

August 3: In Head of Business- Hope for the World we introduce the Winston “V” Model.

August 4: Reputation vs. Trust and why leaders should care more about the latter.

August 5: C-Suite Must Speak With a V.O.I.C.E. of Trust, a new communications model

August 6: It Ain’t What You Do (It’s the Way You Do It) discusses an organization’s core values and traits

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.

. PrintND Trust CEO cvr 140602-ft

Should you wish to communicate directly with Barbara, drop her a note at Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Copyright © 2014, Next Decade, Inc.

 

 

 

, , , , , , , ,