Trust Across America-Trust Around the World™

Organizational Trust this Week is a new feature beginning with the “Good”, moving through the “Debatable” and occasionally ending with the “Ugly.” Each story contains a trust component and at least one lesson for organizations seeking to make trust a business imperative. This week’s news moves our focus away from business and in to trust in communities, government, the media and medicine.

THE GOOD

Building trust is not all that complicated regardless of whether the relationship is personal or professional. It all boils down to something that looks like character, competence and consistency with a bit of compassion on top.

This cop knows his trust “stuff” and should share it with our President. It would save the taxpayers a bundle!

Same goes for this civil rights attorney

By the way, did you know we released a new book this week in our award-winning TRUST Inc. book series?

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GIVE A GIFT OF TRUST THIS HOLIDAY

THE DEBATABLE

What is the media’s responsibility in building and busting trust (not only in itself, but its stakeholders?) After all, if the media is not reporting the facts, why not just watch reality TV and read comic books?

Can you trust those virtual doctor visits? This is new and exciting territory. Maybe someone should also invent virtual health insurance. I’ll bet the premiums would be a heck of a lot lower!

THE UGLY

Is high CEO pay an impediment to building trust?

What’s happened to trust in government since President Eisenhower? I love graphs. This one really does its job!

OUR MOST POPULAR POST THIS WEEK

And finally, Trust Across America-Trust Around the World’s most popular post on LinkedIn Pulse this week. If trust is low in your workplace, fix it!  Send us your stories for consideration in future editions of Organizational Trust this Week: barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Barbara Brooks Kimmel is the Executive Director of Trust Across America-Trust Around the World whose mission is to help organizations build trust. She is also the editor of the award winning TRUST INC. book series and the Executive Editor of TRUST! Magazine. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International.

Our brand new magazine TRUST! makes the case that in Financial Services, Industry is NOT Destiny

   Should you wish to communicate directly with Barbara, drop her a note at Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Copyright 2014 Next Decade, Inc.

For many of us, it’s the time of year when we wish for warm weather and the sound of crashing waves. Take a walk on the beach with Rob Galford as he maps out one of the trust-building activities contained in our new book, Trust Inc., 52 Weeks of Activities and Inspirations for Building Workplace Trust.

Rob is a Managing Partner of the Center for Leading Organizations, and a Leadership Fellow in Executive Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.

A “Walk on the Beach” for Trust 

Not all of our business relationships are perfect.  In fact, too many of them are far from it.  Yet merely recognizing that reality doesn’t do anything for us, doesn’t make things better.  The quo remains status, conflicts are buried, “work-arounds” are devised, and while an easy (or uneasy) peace may reign, the underlying problem remains unresolved.  It doesn’t go away.  It becomes an opportunity missed.  And it doesn’t have to be that way.

The purpose of this assignment and subsequent action is to provide you with an opportunity to focus on improving one or more of your important working relationships in a way that has not occurred before. The first part of the process entails completing six key questions in advance.  You will then spend some uninterrupted time with your counterpart in a setting away from the workplace, a so-called “walk on the beach”, where you will describe and discuss your respective responses to the key questions.   While at the outset there may naturally be a sense of apprehension, risk or discomfort in addressing things so directly, it will be apparent upon completion just how much has been accomplished merely by having had the conversation.

There are four prerequisites for a successful experience and a worthwhile outcome.

1. A belief that a relationship has the possibility of improvement.  If you firmly, deeply, truly believe there really is zero chance of improving a particular relationship that, in effect, you are “done with it”, then don’t spend the time doing this.  The very fact that the other person might hold out some hope for the relationship, or is willing to do this walk may help you reconsider your view.  If it does not, be ready to discuss with them why you are unwilling to try.

Learn more about all four prerequisites and how to complete your walk on the beach by following the link below.  The book contains 51 other activities and inspirations (a full year) that are certain to not only reverse the cycle of mistrust in your workplace, but enable trust to flourish.

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Barbara Brooks Kimmel is the Executive Director of Trust Across America-Trust Around the World whose mission is to help organizations build trust. She is also the editor of the award winning TRUST INC. book series and the Executive Editor of TRUST! Magazine. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International. Leave a comment or send her a note at barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Copyright 2014 Next Decade, Inc.

How many times a week do you wake up dreading the workday ahead?

You are hardly alone. The vast majority of employees are disengaged from their jobs, their coworkers and their bosses. In fact, rarely a day passes without a call, a note, or a media headline regarding the fallout of low workplace trust. It destroys:

• Employee engagement & retention
• Innovation
• Productivity
• Speed of decisions
• Profitability

Most problems, even this one, are not too big to fix and collaboration is a powerful tool. In our brand new book, Trust Inc., 52 Weeks of Activities and Inspirations for Building Workplace Trust, our Alliance members and colleagues joined forces to compile 52 weeks (a full year) of activities and inspirations that are certain to not only reverse the cycle of mistrust in your workplace, but enable trust to flourish. What a great way to improve your life and that of your co-workers!

Whether it is leadership, teamwork, culture, crisis or inter-organizational trust,  the activities and inspirations in our new book are designed to help you. There are activities to enhance trust through:

• Listening
• Vulnerability
• Self-awareness
• Alignment
• Experimentation
• Shared motivation
• Identification of destructive behaviors
• Self accountability
• Role playing
• Transparency

and many others.

Why not give the gift of trust to your co-workers and friends this holiday season? Perhaps by this time next year, we can be discussing how much trust has improved in our respective workplaces.

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Barbara Brooks Kimmel is the Executive Director of Trust Across America-Trust Around the World whose mission is to help organizations build trust. She is also the editor of the award winning TRUST INC. book series and the Executive Editor of TRUST! Magazine. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International. Leave a comment or send her a note at barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Copyright 2014 Next Decade, Inc.

If trust is, as many claim, the “issue of the decade,” why don’t organizations give the topic more attention? After all, the business case for trust has been proven time and again. Perhaps it boils down to the simple question of who takes ownership?

In most companies, trust is taken for granted until there is an “issue” and then trust is passed around like a hot potato.

• If there is a crisis, the communications and legal team are there to talk about restoring trust.
• If it’s a matter of “ethics,” just ask the Chief Compliance Officer.
• Market share declining? Get the marketing department to put the “trust” message in its campaign.
• Got an employee retention problem? Head to HR. After all, they must not have hired “right.”
• Giving a speech about building trust in the community? The corporate responsibility and sustainability silo are right on it!

Get the picture? Should I go on?

Unfortunately, in most organizations, no single person takes ownership and that’s why trust IS the issue of the decade. It’s that simple. Imagine running an organization without a Chief Financial Officer. How would the job get done?

So who should own trust?

Very simply, the CEO. Trust starts at the top with leadership acknowledgement of its critical importance. Once that occurs, the CEO can delegate the job to a Chief Trust Officer, whose office must be within shouting distance of the CEO. Imagine the first organization bold enough to hire a Chief Trust Officer? Did I just say “bold?” I meant smart and proactive.

What would the job entail?

• Review the credo, vision and values and adjust accordingly, with buy-in from every C-Suite member (and the Board.)
• Communicate vision and values to all stakeholders and make sure everyone abides by them.
• Work closely with HR to ensure that hiring (and firing) is done according to the standards set forth above.
• Get trust on the daily docket.  This is an example of how one company does that, and a bit more about driving culture.
• Enforce a “zero” tolerance policy for trust breaches.

What would the job requirements be?

Very simply character, courage, competence and consistency or put another way, values, integrity and promises kept. Not so different than the qualities of a great CEO! If the applicant happened to be a former cheerleader, that wouldn’t hurt either.

Who will be the first to step outside the “old school” box and hire a Chief Trust Officer? Who will be the first to dip their proverbial feet in the trust water?

Barbara Brooks Kimmel is the Executive Director of Trust Across America-Trust Around the World whose mission is to help organizations build trust. She is also the editor of the award winning TRUST INC. book series and the Executive Editor of TRUST! Magazine. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International. Leave a comment or send her a note at barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Copyright 2014 Next Decade, Inc.

“How did it get so late so soon? It’s night before it’s afternoon. December is here before it’s June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?” Dr. Seuss

December is “Trust” Month

according to Trust Across America’s

2014 Calendar

Trustworthy business is not about quarterly earnings and international expansion, but rather about building long-term trust with all stakeholders.

During the  52 weeks of 2014 we have provided weekly inspirations on trust. We hope you have enjoyed the series. Some final thoughts:

The Swedish word for trust “tillit” is a palindrome, highlighting the reciprocal nature of trust. Kaj Török,Futerra Sustainability Communications, Sweden

Trust is built when a group holds each other accountable for their shared values. Bob Vanourek, Vanourek & Partners, LLC

If you want to see more trust, show more trust. Bob Whipple, CEO Leadergrow Inc.

Barbara Brooks Kimmel is the Executive Director of Trust Across America-Trust Around the World whose mission is to help organizations build trust. She is also the editor of the award winning TRUST INC. book series and the Executive Editor of TRUST! Magazine. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International.

Should you wish to communicate directly with Barbara, drop her a note at Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Copyright © 2014, Next Decade, Inc.