Trust Across America-Trust Around the World™

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.

The headlines speak for themselves…

• Trust in business is down
• Washington can’t be trusted
• The NFL has trust issues.

….or do they? 

Have you ever paused to consider that businesses, Washington and the NFL are all run by people?  Institutions are only as trustworthy as those who lead them. In reality, we don’t have a crisis of trust. We have too many “low trust” leaders.

Trust is built on three pillars: Character, competence & consistency. If the first of these pillars comes naturally, the second two are easy to construct. How do you measure character? Michael Josephson has built his “Character Counts” program on 6 pillars. Notice the first is trustworthiness.

If you lead an organization and the headlines are continuously working against you, take a few minutes to consider the following:

• Do you cheat or deceive others?
• Are you reliable? (consistency)
• Do you keep your word?
• Do you have courage to do the right thing?
• Do you have a good reputation? (competence)
• Are you loyal?
• Do you stand by your family, friends and country?

You may have noticed that competence and consistency are attributes of good character. If organizations were run by people who could answer “Yes” to all these questions, or even took the time to consider them, the headlines would read differently.

Being trustworthy is not rocket science. It’s simply a choice. Make it yours.

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.

I am grateful when companies “do the right thing.” How about you? Isn’t it time we began acknowledging them instead of always focusing on the negative?

Here are 2 quick stories that deserve recognition.

The Cookie Caper

Have you ever heard of DiCamillo Bakery in upstate NY? I hadn’t until a few weeks ago when I came across their name in a catalog and decided to send a Thanksgiving basket to a relative. Here’s a quick company history from their website.

“In 1920, with the help of their eleven children, Tomaso and Addolorata Di Camillo opened their first bakery in Niagara Falls, New York. From basement ovens in this store, the Di Camillo family began baking bread and delivering it to their neighbors in horse-drawn wagons. Today second, third, and fourth generation members of the Di Camillo family continue this uninterrupted tradition of making wholesome hearth-baked bread and classic Italian cookies and confections for our friends and neighbors. Although our menu of breads and biscotti has greatly expanded, and our neighbors can be found all over the world, our standards, our traditions, and the pride in the products that we make remain the same.”

A few days later I received a call from the gift recipient, thanking me for the wonderful cookies and macaroons. The problem was, I hadn’t sent cookies and macaroons. A quick call to Di Camillo and the problem was solved. They admitted their mistake and shipped the correct order, at no cost. My first hat goes off to Di Camillo who apparently “does things right.” By the way, their prices are reasonable and their baked goods are delicious.

Leaky Faucets

I recently called Kohler to inquire about replacing a broken head on my kitchen faucet. The call wait time was very short, an English-speaking customer service rep picked up the phone, some basic information was collected (name, address, etc.) and the matter was resolved in under 5 minutes. The outcome: The part is being replaced at no charge. There was little discussion of warranties. The closest was the question as to when the item was purchased. I told the CSR I had no idea, as I could not remember when we had our kitchen remodeled.

So hat’s off to Kohler for standing behind their product and “doing what is right” instead of only “what is legal.” And the way they do business is clearly not by accident. Founded in 1873, Kohler is a family-owned business, and a privately held company. You can read their mission statement here. Their employees seem happy and they have won many awards. Herbert Kohler, Jr. is the CEO and the founder’s grandson. And I’ll bet you didn’t know that the company owns several golf courses and an arts center in Wisconsin!

Do you think culture and values are high on the priority list of these two companies? Are you surprised they have been in business for so long? I’m not. It seems they try to “do right” by all their stakeholders. I doubt either company is perfect, but they certainly set high standards.

Thank you Di Camillo’s Bakery and Kohler. You are truly role models for trustworthy business.

Let’s celebrate the “good guys.” Send me your “do the right thing” stories and I’ll be happy to feature them in upcoming blog posts. Email barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

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

Copyright 2014, Next Decade, Inc.

When a team outgrows individual performance and learns team confidence, excellence becomes a reality. 

Joe Paterno

Today I am excited to be one of the first to share a brand new research study from the Chartered Management Institute titled The Moral DNA of Performance and co-authored by one of our trust alliance members in the UK, Roger Steare. This is a fascinating report that further supports our business case for trust & ethics and concludes with the following:

Followers who tell the truth, and leaders who listen to it, are an unbeatable combination  — Warren Bennis

Last week Jack Haren, the President and CFO of Mohawk Fine Papers, Inc. delivered a short speech at the CFO of the Year Luncheon in Troy, NY. Mohawk is North America’s largest privately owned (4th generation) manufacturer of fine papers, envelopes and specialty substrates for commercial and digital printing. Jack chose the subject of trust and was kind enough to allow me to reprint his speech.

I have selected the question: What advice would you give someone going into leadership position for the first time? 

Putting aside the obvious ingredients of diligence and hard work, the INSIGHT that I would share is that long term career success is powered by the ability to generate TRUST.

Merriam- Webster dictionary defines trust as the assured reliance on the character, ability and strength of someone or something.

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As a mentor, I would remind them that Trust cannot be purchased. It doesn’t come with a college degree, your family name or your zip code.

It can only be earned.

It comes forth from the values you exhibit…the way you interact with peers, subordinates and superiors.    

It comes when you demonstrate that the MEANS that you employ to accomplish an end have as much to say about your success as the final result.

 ——————————————————————————————–

I would remind them that Trust is fueled by consistency, fairness and openness.

It is strengthened by adversity.

It is built up over a series of experiences, a series of projects, a period of years.

——————————————————————————————–

Finally, it is a quality that will draw others to you.  It is an essential of  leadership.

BUT a caution…it is very fragile… so handle it with great care.

Thank you Jack. Your commitment to trust is reflected in the ongoing success of your company.

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.

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.

Trust is the essence of leadership  — Colin Powell

Let’s face it, being a trustworthy leader and leading a trustworthy organization are not rocket science. The biggest problem with trust is that it is not “regulated” and therefore, most leaders don’t think about it. Trust is taken for granted. Imagine if CEO compensation was tied to an annual trust audit!

The second biggest problem is an outcome of the first. When trust is not practiced proactively or when a leader hasn’t “banked” trust, he or she spends a good deal of time putting out fires and reacting to crises. There is no time to build trust into the organizational DNA.

Regardless of the size or type of organization you lead, choosing trust as a business imperative means the strategy starts with you. Begin today by following these simple suggestions:

• Be honest: Once you tell a lie, nobody will believe anything you say.
• Be selfless: Put others before yourself- ask how you can help and mean it.
• Be humble: Park your ego at the door.
• Be inclusive: Celebrate and share the successes of others.
• Be accountable: Always keep your word.
• Be appreciative:  Never forget the “Thank you.”
• Be apologetic: Admit your mistakes.
• Be competent:  It’s okay to say “I don’t know.”
• Be consistent: Always lead the same way.
• Be patient: Take time to teach.
• Be persistent: Build trust into the daily agenda.
• Be open-minded: Sometimes change is good.
• Be positive: People like being around others who are.
• Be curious: Learn from others.
• Be risk tolerant: Innovation will flourish when people are allowed to make mistakes.
• Be transparent: Let others know what you are thinking.
• Be authentic: Don’t be a phony.
• Be an enabler: Allow people to make independent decisions.
• Be human: Share personal stories with your team.
• Be fun: And finally, don’t forget to laugh at your own mistakes and enjoy the journey with your team.

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.

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.

The ethical person should do more than he is required to do and less than he is allowed to do.  Michael Josephson

In a blog post last week I asked the question, “Where Does CSR End & Moral Responsibility Begin?” Several folks weighed in on the role of the corporation in society. The consensus was that genuine CSR is more than just a program. It is a way of doing business that embraces moral responsibility.

Today, I’d like to ask another tough question. “Where Does Compliance End & Trust and Ethics Begin?”

Doug Cornelius over at Compliance Building used the recent NFL crisis to answer the question above in this excellent article.

The answer is rather “black and white” yet in speaking about trust with corporate executives, I often hear this statement. “We are not breaking any laws, therefore we are trustworthy.”

Here’s the most simple way to differentiate compliance and trust. Compliance is mandatory while trust is voluntary. Compliance sets minimum acceptable standards while trust and ethics are what differentiate an organization from its competitors.

While it’s true that trust can’t be regulated, merely be “compliant” will not place an organization at the front of the pack. The legal team cannot assist leadership in building trust, only in staying on the “right” side of the law. An organizational trust imperative first requires an acceptance that compliance is not enough, that trust and ethics must be embraced as a business imperative. The rest is easy.

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.

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.

If a brand genuinely wants to make a social contribution, it should start with who they are, not what they do. For only when a brand has defined itself and its core values can it identify causes or social responsibility initiatives that are in alignment with its authentic brand story. Simon Mainwaring

We know that trust is built in incremental steps via a holistic approach that begins with leadership voluntarily choosing to make trust a business imperative. In other words, trust and trustworthiness become core values. Many companies, however, choose to view trust through the narrow lens of corporate social responsibility. They measure their good citizenship according to the number of boxes they check on the various independent surveys and standards of “proper behavior,” and then they use the awards and rewards in their messaging to their stakeholders. Sadly a good percentage of these programs in no way reflect the overall health of the company, and fall very short on gauging the trustworthiness of the organization. One need only look at some of the corporate names that rise to the top of annual “Best of CSR” lists to reach the same conclusion.

Over the past ten years much has been written and debated about corporate social responsibility programs and check the box practices:

2005 The Myth of CSR 

Corporate Social Responsibility A Study of Key Features, Benefits, Criticism and the Various Initiatives.

CSR, The Dangers of Doing the Right Thing

Corporate Social Responsibility: An Overview

At Trust Across America-Trust Around the World, we have been tracking the trustworthiness of almost 2500 public companies over the past five years using our proprietary FACTS Framework. In reviewing the data, what’s often clear is that many of the companies using CSR success as the gold standard of good business are falling far short in other areas of corporate health. Let’s not forget that Enron claimed to have one of the best CSR programs.

Where does CSR end and moral responsibility begin? Does CSR distract the public from asking deeper ethical questions. Does it similarly distract Boards of Directors and C-Suites?

Many claim that any corporate program that “betters” society is good, but not everyone agrees on what is “better” or good. We argue that the betterment of society is not enough. Core values hold the key.

It would behoove leadership to look deeper into trust as a holistic business imperative. Exercising does not ensure good health. Eating well, lowering stress and getting enough sleep are just as 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.

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.

“The rotten apple spoils his companion.” Benjamin Franklin

Yesterday John Baldoni published a thought provoking article in Forbes  Trust Matters Even to the NFL, and he was kind enough to include some of my thoughts.

At Trust Across America-Trust Around the World we believe that often the most well-deserving, shiniest apples are not those that get the most press coverage. The Manning family, and Eli in particular, have been vocal about the issue of domestic violence and its negative impact on the NFL’s image. Eli is not alone. There are many players in the NFL with high integrity and character. We should not forget this.

Regardless of the organization, when a crisis occurs, it become the problem of every stakeholder, whether they are innocent or guilty. It is important to remember that trust is built in incremental steps. In the course of doing so, the organization, and its leadership, bank trust. When a crisis strikes, they are better prepared and the blow is softened.

Let’s not blame the Eli Manning’s or the NFL “team” for the bad apples, or the resulting fallout from the latest scandal.

This story is really no different than General Motors. Rotten cultures produce rotten apples.

The NFL did not take the proactive steps required to bank trust in their organization, nor to build a trustworthy culture.

Quite simply, that’s a leadership issue. If trust is embraced as a business imperative, the next crisis just might be avoided.

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.

                                                                                                  Coming Soon!

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

Copyright © 2014, Next Decade, Inc.

Trust yourself. Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live with all your life. Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement. Golda Meir, Former Israeli Prime Minister

Tonight at sundown marks the start of the Jewish High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement.) The days in between are a period of reflection and repentance.

Occasionally I receive a note or a call from a religious leader acknowledging the importance of trust in our everyday lives.  But a Rabbi’s recent message struck a chord. This rabbi presides over a large congregation of business leaders. He said he regularly visits our website and had read our first book. It had inspired him to write a sermon about the subject of trust for the High Holidays. He joked about his audience being a captive one. “They have to listen.” The Rabbi acknowledged that “In most relationships, trust is taken for granted. It’s never discussed. But when the same occurs in business, the implications of low trust are much broader.”

A holiday is around the corner for most of us- Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years. These are times for family gatherings. They are an opportunity to discuss trust and its role in our everyday lives.

• If you have a young family, talk about family values and what they mean. Perhaps you can even make a written list and regularly refer to it at the dinner table. Update it and modify it over time.
• If your children are older, the discussion might focus on a recent trust breach from the news- the NFL or Home Depot.
• If you are spending time with adult friends, talk about the role of trust in your professional lives and how it might be improved.

Have the “trust talk.” It’s a great time of the year to do it.  But most important, never take trust for granted.

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.

                                                                                                  Coming Soon!

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

Copyright © 2014, Next Decade, Inc.

My father said there were two kinds of people in the world: givers and takers. The takers may eat better, but the givers sleep better. Marlo Thomas

Yesterday I wrote about the importance of “being first in” when building trust.

Today’s blog is about staying to the right.

I divide the people I know according to a mental “trust chart” with a line drawn vertically down the middle.

The left side is called Wanters/Takers.

The right side is called Helpers/Givers.

The list of names to the left is much longer than the list to the right.

I don’t have a special category for those who claim they are givers, but are really takers in disguise. I just move them over to the left.

I’m baffled when people say “How can I help you?” when what they really mean is “How can you help me?”

The people on the left don’t understand the incremental steps that must be taken to build trust. They haven’t quite mastered the “character” component. In fact, it’s very likely that the people on the left aren’t interested in trust at all. They may just be short-term opportunists looking to seize a moment, not to build a relationship.

The people on the right want to build trust and they are the ones that matter. It’s amazing what happens in the world of trust when two helpers/givers get together. They understand the long-term strategic advantage of the “we” over the “me.” They push boulders up hills.

On which side of the trust chart do you fall?

What will you do today to be moved to the right?

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.

                                                                                                  Coming Soon!

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

Copyright © 2014, Next Decade, Inc.