The Decision to Trust

One of the very first sessions in the Profitable Growth Partners Boot Camp for Managers program is a workshop on building trust. In the session we help professionals understand the consequences of win-lose relationships and help them develop strategies for creating win-win relationships. A recent article on the topic of "trust" highlights the impacts on a business that is unable to build trusting relationships.

In his HBR article entitled “The Decision to Trust” author Robert Hurley reports that roughly half of all Managers don’t trust their leaders. We all know that a distrustful environment is an uncomfortable place to work, but a business with an un-trustful environment is also at a significant competitive disadvantage. Hurley lists 10 factors in establishing trust, and practical ways of managing trust. The first three factors apply to the decision maker himself (the “truster”) while the last seven apply to the person asking for trust (the “trustee”):

- Risk Tolerance: Spend more time explaining options and risks.
- Level of Adjustment: Be patient; it simply takes longer to build trust with some people.
- Relative Power: Provide choices when possible; avoid being coercive.
- Security: Find ways to temper the risk inherent in the situation.
- Number of Similarities: Use the word “we” more and the word “I” less.
- Alignment of Interests: Be clear yourself about whose interests you are serving.
- Benevolent Concern: Take actions that demonstrate a genuine concern for others.
- Capability: Find ways to demonstrate competence in carrying out the task at hand.
- Predictability and Integrity: Under-promise and over-deliver.
- Level of Communication: Increase the frequency and candor of your communications.

Trust is a measure of the quality of relationships. Leaders must provide clear reasons for people to trust them. When leaders are able to establish and environment of trust they are able to establish a more dynamic and sustainable foundation for productive relationships.

Randy Bancino
Managing Partner
Profitable Growth Partners, LLC.