It is extraordinary how the process of establishing trust is similar in situations and relationships between individuals, between individuals and organizations, between organizations themselves, between organizations and society, and even between cultures. It has been my experience that establishing and maintaining trust is a process, one carried out with directness and simplicity. Trust is the result of taking sensible, simple, constructive, and practical steps. There are six crucial elements in establishing and maintaining trust:
- Provide Advance Information – a “Heads Up” – Whenever You Can
Proving advance information is the first and most important ingredient because its absence has one of the most toxic impacts on relationships. You trust another individual above all else because of his or her willingness to anticipate those situations that could be negative or threatening. In the context of senior leaders, providing advance information means making certain they have, from you, the information they need to achieve their objectives or to defend or deflect actions or perceptions that could be detrimental to their success or progress. They expect to be warned of danger, damaging decisions or threats, potential disasters, and disloyalty. - Seeking the Leader’s Input
Asking for input is the second most powerful ingredient of trust. Those being asked are also receiving a signal of their value to you. Taking action without asking for or seeking input is considered to be arrogant and unempathetic. - Listen Carefully
Careful listening is driven by the conversation or information that is exchanged, by the constructive and open nature of the questions that the listener asks for clarification, and by a real sense that each individual or organization is engaged in the conversations that take place during the relationship. Trust depends on the careful listening, from every side. - Change Your Approach Based on What You Hear
When you change or modify your plans or expectations as a result of listening and input, you further demonstrate that you can be trusted. Changing previously announced actions, planned behaviors, and outcomes evidences active engagement, paying attention, and reflecting what is heard. - Staying Engaged
Maintaining trust is an ongoing, interactive process. Rather than waiting for others to contact you or maintain the relationship, you call, on your own behalf and in the other’s best interests to keep the relationship moving, alive, and essential. - Engage Others
The most powerful gesture you can make to build trust is to invite those affected by your decisions and authority into the decision-making process. At the very least, inviting them to “look over your shoulder” while important decisions are made is enormously reassuring and fear reducing.
The wise advisor helps leaders recognize that their own ability to establish, maintain, and restore trust rests on these same six approaches.
