{"id":4108,"date":"2018-12-07T11:50:00","date_gmt":"2018-12-07T16:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.trustacrossamerica.com\/blog\/?p=4108"},"modified":"2019-01-24T13:31:25","modified_gmt":"2019-01-24T18:31:25","slug":"trust-facts-fiction-for-ceos-boards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.trustacrossamerica.com\/blog\/?p=4108","title":{"rendered":"Trust Facts & Fiction for CEOs & Boards"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Ten years ago, in the wake of the financial crisis, I undertook a study of organizational trust. Ten years later, and with the assistance of hundreds of global experts, I offer the following observations gleaned over the past decade.<\/p>\n

Organizational trust is built over time and in incremental steps. There are simply no shortcuts.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Trust facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Organizational trust is an “inside out” strategy built through…<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. A shared purpose and tactical vision acknowledging all stakeholders, not just shareholders<\/li>\n
  2. A high integrity\/high accountability board and CEO<\/li>\n
  3. Long-term and corporate-wide intentional trust building strategies<\/li>\n
  4. Daily reinforcement<\/li>\n
  5. Hiring (and firing) in accordance with corporate values<\/li>\n
  6. Rejection of hidden agendas<\/li>\n
  7. Vulnerability and a willingness to admit mistakes<\/li>\n
  8. Transparency, truth telling and promises kept<\/li>\n
  9. Rewarding moral character<\/li>\n
  10. Trust measurement and tracking<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Recently my colleagues and I have witnessed some “sloppy” use of the word “trust” via short-term thinking attempts to provide quick and easy illusory measurements and solutions.<\/p>\n

    Trust Fiction:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Trust is not built through…<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Delegation of trust building to middle management or online ethics training modules<\/li>\n
    2. Expensive and slick PR or “branding” campaigns<\/li>\n
    3. CEO activism unrelated to the business<\/li>\n
    4. CSR “one off” projects and ESG “check the box” practices<\/li>\n
    5. Self-fulfilling surveys, reports and “best of” awards<\/li>\n
    6. Philanthropy<\/li>\n
    7. Empty apologies, lots of talk and little action<\/li>\n
    8. Social media “strategies” and buzz words<\/li>\n
    9. More rules and larger legal departments<\/li>\n
    10. Short-term share price action<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      There are no short-term solutions to building a trustworthy business. Attempting to cut corners not only wastes time and resources but damages reputation.\u00a0 For those Boards and CEOs who want to learn more, check back next week when we offer 12 free tools to elevate trust in every organization, regardless of size, industry or location.<\/p>\n

      Barbara Brooks Kimmel<\/b>\u00a0is an award-winning communications executive and the CEO and Cofounder of\u00a0Trust Across America-Trust Around the World<\/span><\/a>\u00a0whose mission is to help organizations build trust. A former consultant to McKinsey and many Fortune 500 CEOs and their firms, Barbara also runs the world\u2019s largest global\u00a0Trust Alliance<\/span><\/a>, and is the editor of the award-winning\u00a0TRUST INC.<\/span><\/a>\u00a0book series and\u00a0TRUST! Magazine<\/a>.\u00a0In 2012 she was named one of \u201c25 Women who are Changing the World\u201d by Good Business International, and in 2017 she became a Fellow of the Governance & Accountability Institute. Barbara holds a BA in International Affairs and an MBA. Don’t forget to TAP into Trust<\/a>!<\/p>\n

      For more information contact\u00a0barbara@trustacrossamerica.com<\/a><\/p>\n

      Copyright(c) 2018, Next Decade, Inc.<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n