Trust Across America-Trust Around the World™

For many of us, it’s the time of year when we wish for warm weather and the sound of crashing waves. Take a walk on the beach with Rob Galford as he maps out one of the trust-building activities contained in our new book, Trust Inc., 52 Weeks of Activities and Inspirations for Building Workplace Trust.

Rob is a Managing Partner of the Center for Leading Organizations, and a Leadership Fellow in Executive Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.

A “Walk on the Beach” for Trust 

Not all of our business relationships are perfect.  In fact, too many of them are far from it.  Yet merely recognizing that reality doesn’t do anything for us, doesn’t make things better.  The quo remains status, conflicts are buried, “work-arounds” are devised, and while an easy (or uneasy) peace may reign, the underlying problem remains unresolved.  It doesn’t go away.  It becomes an opportunity missed.  And it doesn’t have to be that way.

The purpose of this assignment and subsequent action is to provide you with an opportunity to focus on improving one or more of your important working relationships in a way that has not occurred before. The first part of the process entails completing six key questions in advance.  You will then spend some uninterrupted time with your counterpart in a setting away from the workplace, a so-called “walk on the beach”, where you will describe and discuss your respective responses to the key questions.   While at the outset there may naturally be a sense of apprehension, risk or discomfort in addressing things so directly, it will be apparent upon completion just how much has been accomplished merely by having had the conversation.

There are four prerequisites for a successful experience and a worthwhile outcome.

1. A belief that a relationship has the possibility of improvement.  If you firmly, deeply, truly believe there really is zero chance of improving a particular relationship that, in effect, you are “done with it”, then don’t spend the time doing this.  The very fact that the other person might hold out some hope for the relationship, or is willing to do this walk may help you reconsider your view.  If it does not, be ready to discuss with them why you are unwilling to try.

Learn more about all four prerequisites and how to complete your walk on the beach by following the link below.  The book contains 51 other activities and inspirations (a full year) that are certain to not only reverse the cycle of mistrust in your workplace, but enable trust to flourish.

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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 and the Executive Editor of TRUST! Magazine. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International. Leave a comment or send her a note at barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Copyright 2014 Next Decade, Inc.

How many times a week do you wake up dreading the workday ahead?

You are hardly alone. The vast majority of employees are disengaged from their jobs, their coworkers and their bosses. In fact, rarely a day passes without a call, a note, or a media headline regarding the fallout of low workplace trust. It destroys:

• Employee engagement & retention
• Innovation
• Productivity
• Speed of decisions
• Profitability

Most problems, even this one, are not too big to fix and collaboration is a powerful tool. In our brand new book, Trust Inc., 52 Weeks of Activities and Inspirations for Building Workplace Trust, our Alliance members and colleagues joined forces to compile 52 weeks (a full year) of activities and inspirations that are certain to not only reverse the cycle of mistrust in your workplace, but enable trust to flourish. What a great way to improve your life and that of your co-workers!

Whether it is leadership, teamwork, culture, crisis or inter-organizational trust,  the activities and inspirations in our new book are designed to help you. There are activities to enhance trust through:

• Listening
• Vulnerability
• Self-awareness
• Alignment
• Experimentation
• Shared motivation
• Identification of destructive behaviors
• Self accountability
• Role playing
• Transparency

and many others.

Why not give the gift of trust to your co-workers and friends this holiday season? Perhaps by this time next year, we can be discussing how much trust has improved in our respective workplaces.

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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 and the Executive Editor of TRUST! Magazine. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International. Leave a comment or send her a note at barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Copyright 2014 Next Decade, Inc.

If trust is, as many claim, the “issue of the decade,” why don’t organizations give the topic more attention? After all, the business case for trust has been proven time and again. Perhaps it boils down to the simple question of who takes ownership?

In most companies, trust is taken for granted until there is an “issue” and then trust is passed around like a hot potato.

• If there is a crisis, the communications and legal team are there to talk about restoring trust.
• If it’s a matter of “ethics,” just ask the Chief Compliance Officer.
• Market share declining? Get the marketing department to put the “trust” message in its campaign.
• Got an employee retention problem? Head to HR. After all, they must not have hired “right.”
• Giving a speech about building trust in the community? The corporate responsibility and sustainability silo are right on it!

Get the picture? Should I go on?

Unfortunately, in most organizations, no single person takes ownership and that’s why trust IS the issue of the decade. It’s that simple. Imagine running an organization without a Chief Financial Officer. How would the job get done?

So who should own trust?

Very simply, the CEO. Trust starts at the top with leadership acknowledgement of its critical importance. Once that occurs, the CEO can delegate the job to a Chief Trust Officer, whose office must be within shouting distance of the CEO. Imagine the first organization bold enough to hire a Chief Trust Officer? Did I just say “bold?” I meant smart and proactive.

What would the job entail?

• Review the credo, vision and values and adjust accordingly, with buy-in from every C-Suite member (and the Board.)
• Communicate vision and values to all stakeholders and make sure everyone abides by them.
• Work closely with HR to ensure that hiring (and firing) is done according to the standards set forth above.
• Get trust on the daily docket.  This is an example of how one company does that, and a bit more about driving culture.
• Enforce a “zero” tolerance policy for trust breaches.

What would the job requirements be?

Very simply character, courage, competence and consistency or put another way, values, integrity and promises kept. Not so different than the qualities of a great CEO! If the applicant happened to be a former cheerleader, that wouldn’t hurt either.

Who will be the first to step outside the “old school” box and hire a Chief Trust Officer? Who will be the first to dip their proverbial feet in the trust water?

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 and the Executive Editor of TRUST! Magazine. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International. Leave a comment or send her a note at barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Copyright 2014 Next Decade, Inc.

“How did it get so late so soon? It’s night before it’s afternoon. December is here before it’s June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?” Dr. Seuss

December is “Trust” Month

according to Trust Across America’s

2014 Calendar

Trustworthy business is not about quarterly earnings and international expansion, but rather about building long-term trust with all stakeholders.

During the  52 weeks of 2014 we have provided weekly inspirations on trust. We hope you have enjoyed the series. Some final thoughts:

The Swedish word for trust “tillit” is a palindrome, highlighting the reciprocal nature of trust. Kaj Török,Futerra Sustainability Communications, Sweden

Trust is built when a group holds each other accountable for their shared values. Bob Vanourek, Vanourek & Partners, LLC

If you want to see more trust, show more trust. Bob Whipple, CEO Leadergrow Inc.

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 and the Executive Editor of TRUST! Magazine. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International.

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

Copyright © 2014, Next Decade, Inc.

There’s nothing more destructive to trust than deceit, and nothing more constructive than candor.

Jim Kouzes & Barry Posner, The Leadership Challenge

 (from Trust Across America’s Weekly Reflections on Trust 2014)

Organizational Trust this Week is a new feature beginning with the “Good”, moving through the “Debatable” and occasionally ending with the “Ugly.” Each story contains a trust component and at least one lesson for organizations seeking to make trust a business imperative.

THE GOOD

7 Essentials for Leaders to Develop Trust (starting with confidence)

Idaho comes down hard on trust violations. Maybe they should change their motto from the “Gem State” to the “Trust State.”

What does the Torah say about trust? A Rabbi’s message

THE DEBATABLE

Just hire the Ex-Con with the shortest rap sheet! Apparently Wells Fargo is the best of the worst!

Sorry, but integrity cannot be regulated!

THE UGLY

CEO Apologies? Really? More Uber weirdness.

OUR MOST POPULAR POST THIS WEEK

And finally, Trust Across America-Trust Around the World’s most popular post on LinkedIn Pulse this week. Sometimes saying “No” is better than saying “Yes.” Send us your stories for consideration in future editions of Organizational Trust this Week: 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 and the Executive Editor of TRUST! Magazine. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International.

Nominations are now being accepted for Trust Across America-Trust Around the World’s 5th annual Global Top Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business.

Our brand new magazine TRUST! makes the case that in Financial Services, Industry is NOT Destiny

We will be publishing our third book at the end of November.

                                                                                               Coming Soon!

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

Copyright 2014 Next Decade, Inc.

As a colleague reminded me yesterday, it’s been five years since the official “birth” of Trust Across America-Trust Around the World and during that time I have learned many lessons about what trust is and what it isn’t. I hope you enjoy this short “facts of trust” list. Which of these most resonates with you? What facts would you add?

1. Everyone defines “trust”, “trusted” and “trustworthy” according to their own standards, not a universally accepted benchmark.
2. Most people take trust for granted instead of “working” it into their daily agenda, through actions more than words.
3. Instant rapport should not be confused with trust, nor should brand loyalty.
4. When trust is tested, extend a second chance, but listen to what both your heart and your gut are telling you.
5. There is no lie detector test equivalent for trust, but character, competence and consistency are great indicators.
6. There will be betrayals and trust breaches. Use them as learning experiences.
7. Standards should never be lowered nor integrity compromised for any reason, especially money.
8. Trust is voluntary while compliance is regulatory. Don’t confuse what’s right with what’s legal.
9. Trust cannot be restored if it never existed. It also can’t be broken in an instant if the existing foundation is strong.
10. Every organization should have a Chief Trust Officer who works across silos, ensuring that the trust needs of all internal and external stakeholders are met.

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 and the Executive Editor of TRUST! Magazine. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International.

Nominations are now being accepted for Trust Across America-Trust Around the World’s 5th annual Global Top Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business.

Our brand new magazine TRUST! makes the case that in Financial Services, Industry is NOT Destiny

We will be publishing our third book at the end of November.

                                                                                               Coming Soon!

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

Copyright 2014 Next Decade, Inc.

Under the theory that trust is built over time and in incremental steps, Ronald Reagan’s famous quote “Trust but verify” is a great one. It implies that as trust is being built, it’s important to keep your eye on the ball to ensure it is real and growing.

I also like the “Love all, trust a few” quote by William Shakespeare that may be more true now then when it was originally written.

Another good trust quote by “Unknown” is “Big or small, lies are lies.” No explanation needed for this one. There is simply no such thing as a little lie.

But this is the trust quote that I read most frequently, and also the one that does trust the biggest disservice.

“Trust takes years to build, seconds to break, and forever to repair” (also by Unknown)

This is simply not true.

1. Trust does NOT take years to build. While it is built in incremental steps, trust can occur very quickly if both parties consistently display good character and competence.

2. Trust CANNOT be broken in seconds if the relationship has a strong foundation of trust. It can only be broken quickly if the foundation is weak.

3. Trust DOESN’T ALWAYS take forever to repair. If trust is “banked” prior to a breach, the time it takes to repair it will be much shorter. This applies to both interpersonal and organizational trust.

Please don’t trivialize trust by using quotes that “just sound good.” Trust is the foundation upon which all great relationships are built. Let’s treat it with the care it deserves.

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 and the Executive Editor of TRUST! Magazine. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International.

Nominations are now being accepted for Trust Across America-Trust Around the World’s 5th annual Global Top Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business.

                                                                                                 Coming Soon!

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

Copyright © 2014, Next Decade, Inc.

Our TRUSTGiving 2014 weeklong trust awareness campaign is coming to a close. Members of our  Alliance of Trustworthy Business Experts have written guest blog posts this past week to help our readers navigate the complexities of trust and discuss what giving trust means to them.

This post will be the last of the series.

Imagine if people didn’t use drugs. The “Say no to drugs” campaign would become obsolete. If nobody smoked, there would be no need for scare tactic TV commercials on the dangers of cigarettes. Similarly, if everyone could be trusted, trust would not be considered the issue of the decade, as many believe.

We can end the trust crisis in short order by collectively choosing to shut down the people who are fueling it. 

Imagine if we refused to support:

• Those who cheat and lie
• Those who don’t keep their word
• Those whose talk is never backed up by action
• Those who show no loyalty
• Those who hang with the “wrong” crowd
• Those who ALWAYS put their own needs first
• Those who make side door deals behind others backs
• Those whose intentions aren’t quite what they claim
• Those who say one thing but do something different
• Those who confuse collaboration with self promotion

When your heart or your gut tells you that someone is doing the wrong thing, listen carefully and just say “No.”

As I wrote at the beginning of #TRUSTGiving2014, let’s get back to basics. Don’t “settle” for relationships that fall short in trust.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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 and the Executive Editor of TRUST! Magazine. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International.

Welcome to TRUSTGiving 2014, our first annual weeklong trust awareness campaign.  Join the Alliance of Trustworthy Business Experts as our members help our readers navigate the complexities of trust. We will be blogging (several times a day) and posting on Twitter #TrustGiving2014.

Holly Latty- Mann has some further advice for building trust during meetings.

You may have caught an earlier post regarding opportunities to build trust at the onset of your weekly management or departmental meeting. Because people tend to remember the first and final activities of meetings, let’s now take a look at tangible ways you can end your team meetings that can promote a more meaningful trust level between and among your team members. Again the activities take on the nature of willful sharing, and as such can serve as a crude measure of your company culture within the context of interpersonal comfort and social trust. 

The end-of-meeting activity is purposefully shorter and lighter than the onset checking-in activity so that even the most reserved team members feel they have a viable place to engage.  With time these more reticent respondents may ultimately share at a deeper level such as the challenges of having a special needs child at home. This is when team members begin experiencing one another as real live human beings with a heartbeat. Team members invariably begin reaching out to one another in a show of support, even sharing similar experiences within their own life.

Consider the following brief activities to end your meeting. The content can either convey familial caring or offer a welcomed sense of levity. Either way, you can begin forging meaningful human connections with one another through these small, caring gestures:

►End with a quote, as most quotes impart a wisdom regarding how to enhance life and living,

►Offer meaningful information or tips such as the 4-7-8 breathing exercise to help manage stress,

► Share a brief human interest story (maybe your own), news item, or even a joke or recipe, and

►Invite other team members to share their favorite quote, tips, restaurants, and such. 

The degree of team sharing carries its commensurate level of team trust.  When we break momentarily from “work as usual,” we’re acknowledging the human side of one another where humor, sensitivity, and a certain sacred spirituality reside.  We are acknowledging the poet, the parent, the philosopher, and adventurer in one another among many other possibilities when we share from a diversity of resources. When we engage one another on a human level that forgets titles and job roles, we are providing the kind of psychological milieu that allows the spillover of good will and trust to permeate all interpersonal relationship dynamics throughout the organization and beyond.

Holly Latty-Mann, PhD, president and owner of The Leadership Trust®, uses her two doctorates in psychology to heighten and crystallize self-awareness and emotional intelligence at root-cause level. Her holistic, integrative model extends to the team and organizational levels to embolden trust-based collaborative efforts, thereby expediting both the creation and delivery of her clients’ innovative products and services. Contact Holly and learn more through leadershiptrust.org/info@leadershiptrust.org.

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 and the Executive Editor of TRUST! Magazine. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International.

Welcome to TRUSTGiving 2014, our first annual weeklong trust awareness campaign.  Join the Alliance of Trustworthy Business Experts as our members help our readers navigate the complexities of trust. We will be blogging (several times a day) and posting on Twitter #TrustGiving2014.

Deb Mills-Scofield provides some insight on the intersection of trust and risk taking.

Taking risk requires trust – to discover, try, re-try, be okay with uncertainty, imperfection and even fail.  That’s why learning how to inexpensively and quickly Experiment-Learn-Apply-Iterate is critical to building trust.

Experiment: Identify a market, customer segment or business model that needs shaking up.  Start with the market/customer needs first, not the solution, the product or service.  I call this “Rushing to Discover, Not to Solve.” Create a cross-functional team with air cover so they are free to try things.  Create some prototypes of potential solutions after you’ve discovered!

Learn:  Watch how your customers respond to your prototype.  Remember, this is still an experiment and you’re still testing hypotheses. Watch them use it, touch it, interact with it. Watch how they respond to what it does/doesn’t do, where their eyes go first, where they seem stumped or frustrated, where they seem excited.  Ask questions to clarify and understand, not to advise or judge.

Apply:  Take this learning and change your potential solutions, prototypes, accordingly.  You will be wrong about a lot! Go back to your customers with the changed prototypes and test again.  The purpose is to test your hypotheses so you can create a solution that really meets your customers needs, not your needs.

Iterate:  Repeat Experiment-Learn-Apply until you create a meaningful, valuable solution for your customers or determine you can’t. 

The ELAI model is pretty straightforward.  Don’t overcomplicate it.  Get out and do it! You’ll be surprised at the level of trust and know-how you create!

Deborah Mills-Scofield has her own consultancy on innovation and strategy & is a partner in a Venture Capital firm.  Deb writes for Harvard Business Review, Switch and Shift & other venues, including her blog, & has contributed to several books. Her Bell Labs patent was one of AT&T & Lucent’s highest-revenue generating patents.  She can be reached at @dscofield or dms@mills-scofield.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 and the Executive Editor of TRUST! Magazine. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International.