Trust Across America-Trust Around the World™

Earlier this week I was given a gift, the opportunity to chat about trust with 150 very smart college kids, members of the millennial generation. 

A small group met for dinner before class, including two international students who shared their stories about trust and cultural differences. For example, in some countries it is impolite to make eye contact with someone who is older. This is viewed as disrespectful and untrustworthy. Imagine walking into a job interview in the US and being unwilling to make eye contact with the interviewer!

We began our class discussion by asking three questions but ran short on time before the third topic.

Question #1: Whom do you trust the most?

Answer #1: Family- Mother, father and siblings. We discussed the special bonds among family members that create trustworthy relationships and how these same characteristics translate into larger organizations.

1. Familiarity
2. Longevity
3. Common values
4. Having “your back”
5. Culture

Question #2: What company do you trust the most?

Answer #2: Google and Apple- The water became a bit murky as the students  explored differences between “liking a product” and “trusting a company” and between consumer perceptions and organizational trustworthiness.

We discussed the lack of transparency at these particular companies and the chapter in our book Trust Inc., addressing Apple as a case study in trust. Several students shared their strong beliefs about corporate responsibility vs. corporate window dressing.

The discussion then turned to:

Target’s security breach: The majority concluded that the breach will not inhibit them from shopping at Target.

Trust in government:  The students felt strongly that our government does a good job to protect its citizens. They accept that lying is the “norm” in politics. Many said they would vote for Chris Christie even if a determination is made that he lied about the lane closures in Fort Lee.

Wrapping up, we reminded the kids that they live in an era of radical transparency. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to hide bad behavior.

We emphasized the importance of entering the work force with not only a clean slate, but also knowledge of the importance of leading with trust.

Bottom line, the students were very engaged in the “trust conversation.”  Perhaps it should be held on more college campuses. What do you think?

Share your comments with me. barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Are your actions ethical? What impact are they having on others? Is unethical behavior just “business as usual?”

I recently followed a LinkedIn group thread containing the following discussion topic: In the personal life of an ethics professional, do the same standards apply as in their professional life? A debate ensued, with many taking the position that “it was just a job” no different than any other profession. In other words, “all bets were off” outside the office. As disappointing as this might seem, it was not particularly surprising.  I see similar attitudes and behavior among trust professionals. Maybe we all need an occasional reminder of what makes for ethical and trustworthy behavior, both in and outside the office. Here are a few thoughts taken from real-life examples:

1. Lose your “me first” attitude.
2. Stop belittling others.
3. Don’t claim honors and awards that you did not earn.
4. Don’t make “side deals.”
5. Do your own “dirty work.” Don’t send a soldier to do it for you.
6. Don’t help yourself to the copyrighted content of others without asking.
7. Leave your ego at the door. You may not be the smartest person in the room.
8. Tell the truth.
9. Keep your word.
10. If you are not sure your actions will be viewed as ethical or trustworthy, ask before proceeding.

I believe we all have a personal and professional obligation to hold ourselves to high standards, to be role models and to exhibit integrity and character. We have an obligation to walk our talk. We have an obligation to lead with trust. Stop and consider whether your actions are ethical and the impact they will have on others.  A lack of trust and ethics should not be viewed as “business as usual.” It’s just bad business.

For more information about organizational trust, please visit our website at www.trustacrossamerica.com You may also be interested in our new book, Trust Inc.: Strategies for Building Your Company’s Most Valuable Asset

Trust Inc.

What are some additional trust busters that you would like to see added to this list? Feel free to leave a comment!

Barbara Brooks Kimmel, Executive Director, Trust Across America-Trust Around the World

How often do you hear one of these statements?

“I need to get approval to do (or say) that.”

“I need to clear this through compliance.”

“You can’t quote me if I don’t get permission.”

“I can’t help you without approval.”

Have you ever considered the relationship, within an organization, between approval and trust?

I’m not referring to the first definition of “approval” from Merriam-Webster, but rather the second shown below.

1. The belief that something or someone is good or acceptable: a good opinion of someone or something

2. Permission to do something: acceptance of an idea, action, plan, etc.

Think about how many employees are constrained by an “approval process,” and how this impacts speed of innovation and decision-making as well as employee engagement. Think about how costly this is. Every time someone needs approval to say something or do something, the “approval” process impedes the outcome. In fact, the process may be so daunting, that employees choose to take the “easy” road, never creating anything new or suggesting a new idea. After all, it would require approval.

What if leaders chose to extend trust throughout the organization by never requiring approval for ANYTHING?

Instead CEOs and their Boards took the time to craft long-term credos, vision and values statements and/or Codes of Conduct; and they were more than just “slogans” etched into the wall at corporate headquarters. The entire staff, starting with the CEO, lived the values every day, and employees understood, at the time of hiring, that any “values violation” would result in immediate termination. Now imagine the innovation, speed of decision-making and empowerment that would come from this cultural transformation. Imagine the cost savings.

During the editing process of our new book Trust Inc. I spent time searching the websites of several large public companies. The goal was to include an Appendix of examples of well-crafted values statements. I was surprised at how difficult they were to find online, and when I did, most of them were “just talk” or empty words. The few I did locate could not be included as written without “approval” from the respective company’s legal department. This would have delayed the publication of the book by several months (not days.) I did a “work around” of the approval process, eliminating the company name.

If organizations spent more time building values instead of  layers of legal teams and compliance departments, the word “approval” would start to look more like Merriam-Webster’s first definition: The belief that something or someone is good or acceptable: a good opinion of someone or something. 

The word “approval” would start to look more like trust.

What do you think? Please feel free to leave a comment or send me a note at barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Building organizational trust requires leadership “buy-in.” The payoff includes a happier and more stable work force; faster decision making and innovation; and long-term sustainability and profitability.

This list compiles some of the myths surrounding organizational trust and leadership.

1. Trust is “soft” and does not increase profitability.
2. If an organization complies with the law, it is trustworthy.
3. Leaders need not have integrity in their personal life as long as they act the part at work.
4. Writing a corporate values statement or having a credo is a waste of time and resources.
5. Building trust into the corporate DNA will not result in faster crisis recovery.
6. Short-term profitability trumps long-term trustworthiness.
7. It’s not leader’s job to ensure that trust-building is an organizational priority.
8. Shareholders are more important than other stakeholders.
9. Corporate responsibility need not extend beyond philanthropy.
10. It’s okay to tell an occasional lie.

What myths would you add to this list? Leave a comment.

These myths and other are discussed in our new book, Trust Inc. Strategies for Building Your Company’s Most Valuable Asset.

Trust Inc.