"Building Relationships of Trust"
Years ago, I went through an extensive training on “Building Relationships of Trust!” At the time, I was being trusted with some important work to do in recruiting others. The training was a vital component of what we had been asked to do. Because of this training and important work I was asked to do, “Building Relationships of Trust” has become a core theme of my existence.
To lead employees and grow your business, you have to learn to trust others, and in turn, they grow to trust you. Leadership involves inspiring trust first. When people feel valued, they exceed expectations naturally…powerful!
Trust is very fragile and can be lost in an instant. It takes a long time to earn and sometimes only a split second to destroy. Self-control is paramount to maintaining trust in the workplace. Losing your patience can cost you years of trust in a work relationship. Unfortunately, it is often human nature to judge people by their worst moment, so when you feel your anger rising, step away and gather yourself.
Years ago, I was sitting around a table of colleagues. One of them paid me a great compliment. She said, “If you need anyone to help build or repair relationships, Scott is the person to have on your team.” That was a highlight for me. My recipe for success has centered around 5 key areas:
- Character
- Caring
- Consistency
- Communication
- Collaboration
Creating a trusting environment is not easy, but applying these 5 Cs on a daily basis can lead to some powerful outcomes.
It has not always been easy. Sometimes you take the high road when you feel like there is no high road to take, but you step up and do what is for the betterment of all. Some key things that have helped me over the years perfect a style in “Building Relationships of Trust” are:
- Be honest, choose the right always
- Keep your commitments
- Set and respect all boundaries
- Demonstrate empathy
- Communicate effectively
- Listen intently, listen to hear and understand
- Admit when you are wrong
- Be a team player
- Trust but verify
- Be a leader for the betterment of all
Some years ago, I had hired an individual. After just a few short years I could see there were some issues. The issues came to a reality after multiple complaints verified my thoughts. I met with the individual and had a great conversation. After the conversation, we both agreed that an action plan would be best to try and help overcome her short comings. We developed the plan in concert and met often as we worked towards correcting the negative behaviors. Some time passed, after many meetings, updates, some progress…in the end the conversation was had to terminate her employment. When we reached this decision, we both knew it was the right thing to do. This was a learning and very powerful moment for both of us. We both agreed that termination was best.
A few months passed and she reached out to me and asked me to serve as a reference for her…wow! During this difficult and growing experience, we had “Built a Relationship of Trust!”
Editors Note: We can learn so much from Dr. Scott. But keep in mind that his lessons regarding building trust in relationships apply to every phase of our lives, including retirement. I'll call attention to the Monthly Peaceful Retiree interview with Marvin Smith, and Marvin's own article, both of which detail the importance of trust: https://thepeacefulretiree.com/peaceful-retiree-monthly-interview-marvin-smith and https://thepeacefulretiree.com/living-my-transitions-after-60.
