{"id":2324,"date":"2014-11-19T09:00:15","date_gmt":"2014-11-19T14:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.trustacrossamerica.com\/blog\/?p=2324"},"modified":"2014-11-19T08:07:07","modified_gmt":"2014-11-19T13:07:07","slug":"trustgiving2014-the-cost-of-mistrust","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.trustacrossamerica.com\/blog\/?p=2324","title":{"rendered":"#TrustGiving2014 : The Cost of Mistrust"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"TrustGiving<\/a><\/div>\n
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Welcome to\u00a0TRUSTGiving 2014<\/a>, our first annual weeklong trust awareness campaign. \u00a0Join the\u00a0Alliance of Trustworthy Business Experts<\/a>\u00a0as our members help our readers navigate the complexities of trust. We\u00a0will be blogging (several times a day) and posting on Twitter #TrustGiving2014.<\/p>\n

In this post, Frank Sonnenberg\u00a0discusses\u00a0the disconnect between trust’s perceived value and the priority it is (or is not) given.<\/strong><\/p>\n

People like talking about trust. Parents expect it, recruiters require it, and leaders demand it. In fact, whenever trust is mentioned, everyone smiles and nods their head. That\u2019s because trust is like motherhood and apple pie.<\/em><\/p>\n

Yet, there seems to be a disconnect between the perceived value of trust and the priority that it receives. Some folks view trust as nothing more than a motivational speech, a clever slogan, or a fancy book collecting dust on a shelf.<\/em><\/p>\n

Why doesn\u2019t trust receive the priority that it rightly deserves? In some cases, people are short-term thinkers. They\u2019ll do anything to get what they want and aren\u2019t willing to make the long-term commitment.\u00a0 Others conclude that it\u2019s hard to measure the impact that our words and actions have on trust \u2013\u2013\u00a0so why pay the price? Let\u2019s look at what happens in the absence of trust.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Distrust Commands a Heavy Price<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

In the relationships between people and groups, a lack of trust:<\/em><\/p>\n

Creates a distraction.<\/strong> Distrust causes people to lose sight of what\u2019s important and become sidetracked by trivial matters.<\/em><\/p>\n

Damages relationships.<\/strong> Distrust promotes disharmony and uncertainty. It causes people to scrutinize what others say and second-guess their intent.<\/em><\/p>\n

Destroys communication.<\/strong> Distrust fosters dishonesty and lack of transparency. People spend more effort reading between the lines than listening to what\u2019s being said.<\/em><\/p>\n

Damages teamwork.<\/strong> Distrust creates dissension. It pits people against one another. You can expect finger pointing, the blame game, and witch hunts to thrive where there is distrust.<\/em><\/p>\n

Reduces competitiveness.<\/strong> When there\u2019s distrust, people spend more time answering to the \u201cpaperwork police\u201d than doing their job. This increases costs, but rarely adds value to the product or the customer experience.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Encourages game playing.<\/strong> Distrust encourages people to spend more time trying to beat the system rather than trying to do something meaningful.<\/em><\/p>\n

Destroys individual initiative. <\/strong>Distrust encourages people to look busy rather than to actually be productive.<\/em><\/p>\n

Creates a toxic environment.<\/strong> Distrust creates an atmosphere that can be cut with a knife. In these environments, people opt for the political solution rather than for doing what\u2019s right.<\/em><\/p>\n

Hurts loyalty and morale.<\/strong> Distrust is anxiety provoking and debilitating. Good people would rather leave an organization for greener pastures than spend their days covering their behind.<\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s time to put your money where your mouth is.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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The Magic of Trust<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

What if I told you that mistrust could kill our individual aspirations, cripple our personal and business relationships, strip the muscle from our most powerful leaders, and crush the productivity and morale of our best and brightest people? Would I have your attention? Then why don\u2019t we give trust the attention it deserves?<\/em><\/p>\n

You may not think that paying lip service to trust bears a cost, but it commands a very handsome price. If you care about your credibility and reputation, desire the respect of friends and family, or want to be taken seriously in life \u2026 trust matters. Trust is more than a platitude; it defines you as a person. There is a tendency to believe that if something cannot be seen or heard, it does not exist. It brings to mind the question: If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound? Trust, as with other soft issues, is like the tree that falls in a forest. If we don’t believe that trust makes a sound, maybe it’s time to get our hearing checked.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Frank Sonnenberg<\/strong> is an award-winning author. He has written five books and over 300 articles. Frank was recently named one of \u00a0100 “Global Thought Leaders\u201d<\/a> and nominated as one of \u201cAmerica\u2019s Most Influential Small Business Experts.\u201d Frank has served on several boards and has consulted to some of the largest and most respected companies in the world. Additionally, FrankSonnenbergOnline<\/a> <\/em>was named among the \u201cBest 21st Century Leadership Blogs.\u201d Frank\u2019s new book, Follow Your Conscience\u00a0<\/i><\/a>is available November 2014.<\/p>\n

\u00a9 2014 Frank Sonnenberg. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n

Barbara Brooks Kimmel<\/strong>\u00a0is the Executive Director of\u00a0<\/span>Trust Across America-Trust Around the World<\/a>\u00a0whose mission is to help organizations build trust. She is also the editor of the award winning\u00a0<\/span>TRUST INC.<\/a>\u00a0book series and the Executive Editor of\u00a0<\/span>TRUST! Magazine<\/a>. In 2012 Barbara was named \u201cOne of 25 Women Changing the World\u201d by Good Business International.<\/span><\/p>\n

Copyright 2014, Next Decade, Inc.<\/p>\n