Building Trust 

Being trustworthy and ethical when working and relating to others; ability to establish a bond of trust with others 

 

People with this competence:  

• Share information, including about themselves (appropriate self-disclosure);

• Are willing to be influenced; are able to change their minds as a result of talking with others;

• Treat people fairly, consistently and with respect;

• Genuinely care about others;

• Maintain high standards of personal integrity;

• Behave in accordance with their expressed beliefs, values and commitments; and

• Deliver on their promises and commitments.

 

People lacking this competency:  

• Are unable to establish open, candid, trusting relationships;

• Have developed a reputation for lacking integrity;

• Make promises they are not able or do not intend to keep;

• Behave erratically and treat people poorly; and

• Undermine others for their own gain.

 

Development tips:  

• It takes a long time to build trust, and only an instant to destroy it. 

• All of the following development tips must be practiced on a regular, consistent basis if you wish to build trust:  

• Build personal relationships with others through listening carefully to what’s on their minds and in their hearts.  

• Always deliver on your commitments, if you say you will make a meeting or do something, don’t make a habit of canceling and follow through on what you say you will do.  

• Be accessible; your co-workers will find it hard to trust you just because you have a title  Never knowingly mislead or lie.  

• Consciously articulate and demonstrate your leadership values, principles and ethic in the actions you take and the decisions you make.  

• Admit your mistakes or your part in them.

• Protect the interests of those who are not present and those with less power than you.

 

Quotes:

“You must trust and believe in people, or life becomes impossible.” - Anton Chekhov

“The chief lesson I have learned in a long life is that the only way to make a man trustworthy is to trust him; and the surest way to make him untrustworthy is to distrust him and show your distrust.” - Henry L. Stimson 

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Great resource: 

Building Trust: In Business, Politics, Relationships, and Life, by Robert C. Solomon and Fernando Flores

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