BARBARA KIMMEL INTERVIEWS RANDY CONLEY,

DIRECTOR OF CLIENT SERVICES AND TRUST PRACTICE LEADER AT THE KEN BLANCHARD COMPANIES

Barbara Kimmel: Randy – tell us a bit about your background, qualifications and expertise. If you have written a book, please provide the title.

Randy Conley: I’ve been a part of The Ken Blanchard companies for nearly seventeen years, where I hold two roles: Director of Client Services and Trust Practice Leader. I think my dual role allows me to have a “real world” perspective when I work with clients to help them improve their abilities to build trust in their leadership practices. I have a Master’s Degree in Executive Leadership from the University of San Diego, and although I haven’t written a book (yet!), I do quite a bit of writing on my blog (www.leadingwithtrust.com). On the personal side, my wife and I are celebrating our 25^th wedding anniversary this year and our relationship has definitely been a living laboratory on the importance of trust in relationships!

Barbara Kimmel: Trust Across America’s mission is to rebuild trustworthy business behavior across the globe.  How would you generally define trustworthy business behavior? 

Randy Conley: I would define trustworthy business behavior as “doing the right thing” regardless of the circumstances. This applies to individual leaders as well as organizations as a whole. Of course there are many different components that fall under the umbrella of “doing the right thing” and that’s the beauty of the trust alliance Trust Across America has put together. bit.ly/13TX5Kj All of us have strengths and passions in the different aspects of trustworthy business behavior and together we can make a big difference in organizations around the world.

Barbara Kimmel: In your opinion, what are some of the specific components of trustworthy business behavior?

Randy Conley: My specific focus is the component of interpersonal trust. I believe that trustworthy business practices start at the individual level. How do you and I build trust as leaders and members of an organization? Once you’re clear on that, then I think you can apply the same principles and practices to the other areas of your business such as organizational governance, sustainability, public relations, brand management, etc.

Barbara Kimmel: We all know that the erosion of corporate trust is a big problem. What are companies doing to combat this, and is it enough?

Randy Conley: Some companies, not enough, but some are starting to “get it” when it comes to understanding the value of being trustworthy organizations. They are realizing that being trustworthy is not just the right thing to do in terms of ethical business practices, but there are bottom-line economic benefits to being trustworthy.

Barbara Kimmel: Is the global “trust” climate improving or worsening? What actions will turn things around?

Randy Conley: When you look at the various surveys and reports it appears that the climate of trust isn’t improving. It’s been at historic lows and is continuing to stay there. Leaders have to take specific, proactive steps to build and maintain trust with their stakeholders. Trust doesn’t “just happen” over time. It takes intentional effort over an extended period of time.

Barbara Kimmel: Can you provide a few examples of companies that are doing the “right” thing in your opinion? What steps are being taken by these companies that sets them apart?

Randy Conley: I think Whole Foods is a good example. Their CEO, John Mackey, is a proponent of trustworthy business behavior and puts specific focus on it as part of how he runs his company. I also work with a range of companies, from those in the Fortune 500 to small businesses that understand the importance of trust and are implementing training and development programs to create cultures of trust.

Barbara Kimmel: Anything else you would like to add as a closing comment?

Randy Conley: The last thing that I would add is that I don’t see a more important leadership competency than that of building trust. Trust is the foundation of any successful and healthy relationship and the most successful leaders in the 21^st century are going to be those that have the ability to create trustworthy relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

Barbara Kimmel: Randy, it’s always a pleasure hearing your insights on building cultures of trustworthy business. Thank you for your time.

Randy Conley can be reached at randy.conley@kenblanchard.com

and more information about The Ken Blanchard Companies can be found at:

www.kenblanchard.com

Do you have questions or comments? Email Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Barbara Kimmel is the Executive Director of Trust Across America, global leaders in information, standards, data and Who’s Who in trustworthy business. www.trustacrossamerica.com

Barbara Kimmel Interviews Jim Gregory, CEO CoreBrand

Barbara Kimmel: Jim- tell us a bit about your background, qualifications and expertise. If you have written a book, please provide the title.

Jim Gregory: I am the CEO of CoreBrand. My company focuses on building corporate brands and we are pioneers in the measurement of corporate brands. We have a proprietary database know as the Corporate Branding Index® that includes 20 years of consistent research of 1000 companies across 54 industries. This allows us the unique ability to connect the corporate brand to market capitalization. I’ve written four books on the subject, the most recent being The Best of Branding.

Barbara Kimmel: Trust Across America’s mission is to rebuild trustworthy business behavior across the globe.  How would you generally define trustworthy business behavior? 

Jim Gregory: Trust is built through the process of consistently meeting the needs of your key constituencies over time. Each constituency views trust from their own perspective and their own needs. Understanding how trust is built is critical for creating corporate value.

Barbara Kimmel: In your opinion, what are some of the specific components of trustworthy business behavior?

Jim Gregory: There are three elements of trust that can be managed by a corporation.

1) Business Processes must be in alignment with the overall brand strategy.

2) The Culture and Behavior of the company must adhere to the brand guidelines.

3) The Communications, whether planned or unplanned, should consistently reflect the brand over time.

Barbara Kimmel: We all know that the erosion of corporate trust is a big problem. What are companies doing to combat this, and is it enough?

Jim Gregory: We know from our proprietary research and models that trust is directly related to brand power, which is directly connected to market capitalization. Education of management and consistently reinforcing the importance of trust is the best way to rebuild corporate brands.

Barbara Kimmel: Is the global “trust” climate improving or worsening? What actions will turn things around?

Jim Gregory: Trust in corporations has been declining since 2004. CoreBrand’s research of Corporate Brand Equity as a Percentage of Market Capitalization for the average Fortune 1000 company shows a decline from 7.4% in 2004 to 5% in 2012. We believe this decline is leveling off and we are hoping for a rebound in 2013.

Barbara Kimmel: Can you provide a few examples of companies that are doing the “right” thing in your opinion? What steps are being taken by these companies that sets them apart?

Jim Gregory: Google’s brand has been consistently growing for years. Now they are ranked as the number one company to work for, and they have great programs in place to support this ranking — that is consistency.

Barbara Kimmel: Anything else you would like to add as a closing comment?

Jim Gregory: CoreBrand tracks 1000 companies across 54 industries. If your company is one of them we have information to share with you. If it isn’t one of them we will consider adding your company to our research survey. Please let us know more about your corporate brand.  Our data can also be combined with Trust Across America’s FACTS® Report to provide further depth and perspective on the trustworthiness of our company.

Barbara Kimmel: Thank you Jim for your ongoing research on the construction and measurement of trustworthy brands.

Jim Gregory can be reached at jgregory@corebrand.com

and more information about CoreBrand can be found at:

www.corebrand.com

Do you have questions or comments? Email Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Barbara Kimmel is the Executive Director of Trust Across America, global leaders in information, standards, data and Who’s Who in trustworthy business. www.trustacrossamerica.com

BARBARA KIMMEL INTERVIEWS BOB WHIPPLE

Barbara Kimmel: Bob, tell us a bit about your background, qualifications and expertise. If you have  written a book, please provide the title.

Bob Whipple: I have been in the leadership and trust business for about 40 years. Working as a senior leader in a major corporation, I found that trust is the most significant enabler of exceptional performance. To build trust, you must have exceptional leaders.

I have three books published, and a fourth one under construction. They are:

The Trust Factor: Advanced Leadership for Professionals, 2003, Productivity Publications   amzn.to/14p25qp

Understanding E-Body Language: Building Trust Online, 2006, Productivity Publications     amzn.to/WIDWXo

Leading With Trust is Like Sailing Downwind, 2009, Executive Excellence Publishing           amzn.to/YbTbsX

Building Trust and Unity During a Merger or Acquisition, 2014

I have written over 300 published articles on trust, leadership, and other topics on personal excellence in numerous journals and in the online environment. “Leadership Excellence Magazine” has named me as the #14 top rated consultant on Leadership Development, and Trust Across America has identified me as one of the Top 100 Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business Behavior. 

Barbara Kimmel: Trust Across America’s mission is to rebuild trustworthy business behavior across the globe.  How would you generally define trustworthy business behavior? 

Bob Whipple: I think it’s pretty simple. Trustworthy business behavior means doing the right things at all times, especially when nobody would know if you did something else.

Barbara Kimmel: In your opinion, what are some of the specific components of trustworthy business behavior?

Bob Whipple: Personally, I think the acronym for TRUST below is a good place to start. There are literally hundreds of components that embody trust, but if a leader can consistently apply these five components, he or she is going to do well at enabling trust.

1. Trusting Others – To receive more trust, show more trust.
2. Reinforcing Candor – Praise people for speaking their truth – drive out fear.
3. Universal goals – High trust requires alignment: all pull in the same direction.
4. Sincerity – Treat people the right way: Golden Rule is a good one.
5. Transparency – Share all the information you can legally share.

Barbara Kimmel: We all know that the erosion of corporate trust is a big problem. What are companies doing to combat this, and is it enough?

It is situational. Some organizations continue to shoot themselves in the foot on trust just about every day. Their leaders believe they are heading in the right direction, but they are quite blind to the damage they are doing.  It stems from a lack of Emotional Intelligence.

Fortunately, I am seeing more and more CEOs who are starting to realize what they leave off the table when there is low trust. These enlightened leaders are willing to at least consider the notion that they are a part of the problem when there is low trust. The ones that really “get it” are seeing dramatic productivity gains.

As the word spreads, some of the jerks are starting to wonder if there might really be something to this trust stuff.  That is encouraging, but there are still way too many losers out there. Turning a non-believer into a true enlightened advocate for higher trust is one of the true joys in my life.

Barbara Kimmel: Is the global “trust” climate improving or worsening? What actions will turn things around?

Bob Whipple: I believe the pendulum is heading in a good direction over the past few years. There are still a lot of snakes in the grass, but I believe the worst times of abuse may be behind us.

As the Edelman Trust Barometer shows, the level of trust fluctuates country-by-country depending on what has happened in the prior year. In general, trust in the USA is lagging many other countries. That is why the work of Trust Across America and the individual contributors to the trust movement is so critical for our collective future.

Barbara Kimmel: Can you provide a few examples of companies that are doing the “right” thing in your opinion? What steps are being taken by these companies that set them apart?

Bob Whipple: There are four outstanding companies in my hometown of Rochester, NY who are leading the way with trust. They score well on the top companies to work for in America every year. They are Wegmans (grocery chain), Dixon Schwabl (marketing and advertising firm), Eastman Savings and Loan (Federal Credit Union), and Klein Steel.

All four of these organizations invest heavily in their culture, and it shows in the results they are getting. In each case it is the result of enlightened and passionate leaders that is causing this remarkable track record.

Barbara Kimmel: Anything else you would like to add as a closing comment?

Bob Whipple: I am highly supportive of the work of the Trust Across America Organization and am a proud founding member of the Alliance of Trustworthy Business Experts (ATBE). bit.ly/13TX5Kj Our work is critically important, and we are making a difference. The next two years are going to show wonderful progress on trust in business across the globe.

Barbara Kimmel: Bob, thank you for your time today and all you do to advance the cause of trustworthy business.

What do you think? Send your comments to Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Barbara Kimmel is the Executive Director of Trust Across America, global leaders in information, standards, data and Who’s Who in trustworthy business. www.trustacrossamerica.com

News Release

For Immediate Release

For Additional Information contact:

Barbara Kimmel

Executive Director

Trust Across America

908-879-6625

Trust in Business Essential for 2013:

Global Experts Join Forces to Combat Trust Crisis

Chester, N.J.  January 3, 2013—After a well-documented 10+ years of declining trust in government, business and the media, Trust Across America (TAA) (www.trustacrossamerica.com) and its ambassadors are launching the Campaign for Trust™, a two-year initiative to reverse this cycle.  “As the leaders in information, standards, data and the Who’s Who of trustworthy business, this is the next step in our initiative that began in 2009,” said Barbara Brooks Kimmel, a Co-founder and the Executive Director.

In the fourth quarter of 2012 TAA created The Alliance of Trustworthy Business Experts (ATBE) to collaborate in advancing the cause of trustworthy business through the creation of trust tools and communications outreach. Over 100 global thought leaders from Fortune 500 companies; leading academic institutions; global media and consulting have joined since the mid-October launch.

Much of the work of the alliance will be via strategic partnerships with our Founding Members listed alphabetically: Patricia Aburdene (Co-author of Megatrends 2000); William Benner (WW Consulting); Randy Conley (The Ken Blanchard Companies); Stephen M.R. Covey (Franklin Covey-Speed of Trust); Linda Fisher Thornton (Leading in Context); Bahar Gidwani (CSRHub); Charles Green (Trusted Advisor Associates); Nadine Hack (beCause Global Consulting); Michael Hopkins (MHC International); Gary Judd (Franklin Covey-Speed of Trust); Barbara Kimmel (Trust Across America); Jim Kouzes (The Leadership Challenge); Deb Krizmanich (Powernoodle); Mike Krzus (Co-author of One Report); Greg Link (Franklin Covey-Speed of Trust); Linda Locke (Reputare Consulting); Edward Marshall (Author Building Trust at the Speed of Change); Jon Mertz (Thin Difference); Deb Mills-Scofield (Innovanomics™); Robert Vanourek (Triple Crown Leadership); and Bob Whipple (Leadergrow Inc.).

According to Kimmel, “We will be assembling a Trust Toolbox™ in 2013 to assist businesses in building trust with their stakeholders. Collaborative projects in development include the publication of a book- Trust Inc.: Strategies for Building Your Company’s Most Valuable Asset, a collection of short essays from our global thought leaders; the Trust Directory™ designed for companies who seek advice and counsel; the creation of trust assessments; the development of a Trust Index™; educational Trust Talks™; a monthly publication called the Trust Sheet ™, announcing trust alliance member news from around the world; and the opening of our online Trust Store™, a virtual one-stop shop for trust products.”

Kicking off the campaign will be the January 14 announcement of Trust Across America’s 3rd annual Top Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business. Our 2013 recognition list will honor the late Dr. Stephen R. Covey, whose professional accomplishments in the field of trust were instrumental to the founding of the Trust Across America initiative four years ago.

According to Amy Lyman co-founder of Great Place to Work Institute and author of The Trustworthy Leader, “The evidence is irrefutable. Cultures of trust, created by leaders who are credible, respectful and fair bring with them significant economic, social, community and environmental benefits. It is what every employee wants and what every business leader should strive for.” Trust Across America, through its new trust alliance, hopes to develop the requisite tools to enhance cultures of trust, and encourages those interested in furthering the cause of trustworthy business to join the alliance. trustacrossamerica.com/cgi-bin/alliance.cgi

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Basic human decency- has it disappeared? It certainly seems that way- and perhaps this is why trustworthy business behavior has too.

My holiday wish for all of you is to consider the following professional business practices and share them with your team, every month beginning in January.  Together we can begin to rebuild human decency in 2013 and collectively elevate the level of trust in business. Naïve? – Maybe, but certainly worth a try.

January–  Promises: If you make a promise, keep it.

February– Behavior: Practice what you preach.

March– Accountability: If you say you are going to do something, follow through.

April– Obligations: If you owe someone money, pay them. Don’t hide behind your legal department.

May– Integrity: If you are told something in confidence, don’t betray it.

June– Teamwork: Have your colleague’s back.

July– Respect:  Be on time for the meeting or the phone call.

August– Honor: Your handshake should be worth as much as a written contract.

September– Humility:  Be humble. Don’t brag about how much money you make and all the toys you bought with it.

October– Social Responsibility: Practice good corporate social responsibility regardless of whether a “program” is in place to do it.

November– Selflessness: Think of others before yourself.

December– Trust:  Don’t forget that trustworthy business is not about quarterly earnings and international expansion, but rather about “doing the right thing.”

Barbara Kimmel, Executive Director

Trust Across America

You may direct questions or comments to Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

It seems like business leaders may finally be waking up to the importance of trust as as a brand/company asset.

This week we heard from Sheryl Connolly Ford’s Futurist, about the increasing value of trust as the “new black” www.businessinsider.com/fords-biggest-trends-for-2013-2012-12, and from Cheryl Guerin Senior Vice President at Mastercard, positing that trust is an advantage for established companies. www.businessinsider.com/trust-could-be-the-achilles-heel-of-new-payment-companies-2012-12

Amen ladies! Perhaps it’s the Sheryls/Cheryls of the world, or female business leaders for that matter, who are about to turn the “trust” switch to the “on” position as a management tool that should not be ignored.  Trust is measurable and companies that embrace it as a business tool reap the rewards. Trust Across America has been preaching this, to a growing audience, for quite some time. www.trustacrossamerica.com/blog/?p=573

Let’s just hope that companies are genuinely waking up to the importance of stakeholder trust, rather than using trust as the latest “in” buzzword.

What do you think?

Barbara Kimmel, Executive Director

Trust Across America

Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

The Steward of Trust for 2013

As the leading source of information, standards and data on trustworthy business, in mid- October, Trust Across America formed the Alliance of Trustworthy Business Experts. Its mission is to spearhead a global movement of recognized thought leaders who can advance the cause of trustworthy business behavior through collaborative, high impact programs and initiatives.

trustacrossamerica.com/cgi-bin/alliance.cgi

In less than six weeks, Alliance membership has grown to almost fifty international professionals hailing from corporations, nonprofits, academia, consulting and the media. Members run the professional gamut from Chief Ethics Officers of Fortune 200 companies to million+ bestselling book authors and well-known leadership experts.

We are thrilled to see institutions like the University of Virginia, Great Places to Work Institute, Federal Express and Triple Pundit, to name just a few, lending their collaborative support.

The Alliance offers both free and premium membership. All are welcome to join in furthering the cause of trustworthy business. Funds raised from premium members will be used to support the creation of collaborative tools to advance organizational trust.

We have begun work on a book project scheduled for publication in late 2013, and drawing on the expertise of many members who will be contributing solution-based essays on advancing trust in business.

Our first press release will be issued in early January 2013 when we will officially announce our founding members and further plans for the Alliance.

For more information, please contact Barbara Kimmel, Executive Director at the following email address: Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Regardless of the size of the organization, it’s no secret that every “buck” stops on the CEO’s desk and trust is no exception. A CEO who fails to “model” trust cannot build or maintain a sustainable business. So while the following “10 T’s of Trustworthy Leadership” may seem somewhat obvious to you, they may not be to your CEO. Share them the next time your team meets and deliver a copy of this blog to the CEO’s office. If he or she doesn’t thank you for it, you’re probably working for the wrong leader.

#1 Trustworthy- Very simply, a culture of trust cannot exist with an untrustworthy leader. Trustworthy behavior must start at the top and flow down through every manager within the organization. Trust building tools should be incorporated into meetings. Management should reward those who model trust and CEO’s should regularly address all stakeholders about the steps being taken to build trustworthy behavior within the organization.

#2 Tools- and speaking of tools, there are many trust tools that CEO’s can utilize to build trust amongst their internal and external stakeholders. They run the gamut from metrics to assessments and online surveys. The results may be surprisingly good, or just the opposite. And if they are the latter, it’s time to get busy.  Either way, maybe it’s time to add a Chief Trust Officer to the staff. And remember, what can be measured can be managed.

#3 Treatment- The Golden Rule says to “treat others the way you want to be treated” and certainly holds true with trust. The CEO that extends trust to his/her stakeholders is more likely to have it returned.

#4 Teamwork- As we all know, teamwork leads to better decisions and better outcomes. Breaking down the silos to make trustworthy behavior the #1 priority in the C-Suite, should be on every CEO’s “to do” list. Trust should not be confused with compliance. Being “legal” is not the same as being trustworthy.

#5 Talk- Your stakeholders need to know what steps you are taking to build a trustworthy organization. Let’s face facts, quarterly numbers are no longer the “be all and end all,” and the evidence is building that one need not sacrifice “good numbers” for a trustworthy culture. Companies can simultaneously “do good and do well. “ www.trustacrossamerica.com/blog/?p=573

#6 Truth- for goodness sake, any CEO who wants to build a trustworthy organization, must always tell the truth. No company is perfect. It’s not necessary to air all the dirty laundry, just don’t lie about it.

#7 Time- Building a culture of trustworthy business does not happen overnight. It takes time, maybe even years. The CEO who invests the time to educate himself or herself about how to build trust among teams and with stakeholders, develops a plan, communicates and implements it, will be rewarded with greater stakeholder trust. And when the slip up occurs, those who “banked” trust will recover faster.

#8 Transparency- Merriam Webster defines “transparent” as characterized by visibility or accessibility of information especially concerning business practices. Any CEO who thinks he/or she can still hide behind a veil of secrecy need only spend a few minutes on the social networks reading what stakeholders are saying about his/her company. Why not be proactive? It’s time to stop viewing transparency as a risk.

#9 Thoughtful- that’s not to say that stakeholders must know the company’s trade secrets or what the CEO had for dinner. But the CEO who thinks about building a trustworthy organization, might consider making “trust” more prominent through a well-developed communications strategy. It’s still the rare company that makes trust a priority, so if yours is one of the few that do, why not brag about it? Your stakeholders will thank you for it.

#10 Tweet- If Bill George sees a reason to do it, it’s probably time you did too!

online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444083304578018423363962886.html?mod=rss_Technology

Barbara Kimmel is the Executive Director of Trust Across America, the leading source of information, standards and data on trustworthy business.

She is also the self-designated Tribal Chief of The Alliance of Trustworthy Business Experts (#trusttribe)

trustacrossamerica.com/cgi-bin/alliance.cgi

Barbara was recently named one of 25 Women Changing the World 2012

You can follow her on Twitter @BarbaraKimmel and direct comments to

Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Good Business New York Leading Women for 2012 has named Trust Across America’s Founder, Barbara Kimmel, among its honorees.

The accomplished women listed below inspire us, surprise us, and give us hope that the world can be a better place. Each of these determined women honored this year is working diligently to solve critical social and economic problems.

These courageous women tackle our most challenging modern issues including environmental sustainability, human rights, business trust, equitable capital allocation, social enterprise, women’s economic empowerment, and ethical leadership with indefatigable energy and dedication.

The “Good Business New York™ Leading Women of 2012” includes economists, lawyers, thought leaders, journalists, policy makers, activists, investors, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, scientists, quants, and academics. Some are known to us personally at Good-b; others are not. All of these women have been selected for their impact and effectiveness in the world of business and finance.

We live in times of crises. Critical social and economic challenges are more important than ever to address, and even more importantly to resolve. These women are among the champions and change makers who are creating real and positive change. Most of these women are well known in their circles, but none are household names. Some operate behind-the-scenes; others take center stage. Our goal atGood Business New York™ is to celebrate the important work that each of these remarkable women do everyday with committment, personal sacrifice,  passion, purpose, and sheer determination – work that might sometimes go unnoticed by the general population, but is never-the-less shaping the positive changes taking place in business and society.  At Good Business New York™, we honor the triumphs and accomplishments of these 25 Leading Women in the face of real challenges.

After eight months of deliberation and research at Good Business New York™, we have selected 25 amazing women to represent the power that one person has to make a big difference. We believe they deserve even greater recognition for the socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable work they do every day. They serve as role models for women and girls everywhere.

We celebrate these 25 dynamic women who inspire and empower us to create a better world for all. The“Good Business New York™ Leading Women for 2012” offer us hope that a more equitable and sustainable economy is possible, one that serves all levels of society fairly and responsibly and doesn’t leave millions of the world’s inhabitants out. We congratulate and applaud all of them for what they do every day for our communities and our world.

To review the complete list, please click on the link below.

good-b.com/?p=10329

“I am honored to be included among this list of outstanding women,” said Barbara Kimmel. “This recognition reconfirms that the work I am doing at Trust Across America is not only helping to restore trust in the business community, but is also being more widely acknowledged by prestigious organizations like Good Business New York”.

Will you join Trust Across America in a pledge to model trustworthy business behavior?

Curtis C. Verschoor, CMA, a member of the IMA Committee on Ethics and one of Trust Across America’s Top Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business Behavior trustacrossamerica.com/offerings-thought-leaders.shtml recently wrote a blog post called A Disturbing Thirty Days www.accountingweb.com/article/disturbing-thirty-days/219658

Essentially, the post talks about the enormous worldwide corporate transgressions that occurred from mid-June to mid-July 2012 beginning with $4 billion in fraud and ethics fines levied against the pharmaceutical industry. The enormity of these global trust violations is staggering.

Life is a series of small interpersonal transactions that either build trust or lose trust. I believe that the economics of trust works as follows: every small positive deed, whether seen or unseen, adds to ones personal and professional value. In this environment, a single transgression can derail decades worth of “brand” building if trust has not been “banked”.

Lately I’ve thought quite a bit about trust violations and what’s behind them. In most cases, the root cause of the breakdown of trust is self-serving and self-interested behavior, often on the part of those in the most trusted positions in business. While all professionals, regardless of their field, can build and bank trust, sadly few choose to. Even those who work in the fields of trust and ethics don’t always take the high road. And so here we are today witnessing some of the worlds largest companies paying billions of dollars in fraud and ethics fines, with no apparent end in sight.

Most of us have fallen victim to trust violations, and while the “big” cases, like those referenced in the link above, make the news, the day-to-day transgressions may not. Regardless of their size, trust violations harm interpersonal, inter-organizational and international relations.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s second inaugural address in 1937 included the following passage. “We have always known that heedless self interest was bad morals, we now know that it is bad economics. Out of the collapse of a prosperity whose builders boasted their practicality has come the conviction that in the long run economic morality pays.” Roosevelt was correct. Economic morality does pay but it seems that the business world needs a reminder.

Will you join Trust Across America in a pledge to model trustworthy business behavior? Will you take that pledge today? Will you serve as a role model for your children, your friends and your co-workers? Will you remind them (as often as needed) that economic morality pays? Will you share this short blog post with those who have banked trust and those who should start?

On Twitter: #pledgetobetrustworthy

Barbara Kimmel is the Executive Director of Trust Across America. Send your comments to barbara at trustacrossamerica.com