Building Trust In a World of Uncertainty

Last week, I received a message from a good friend:

“Gareth, do you have any insight or knowledge that you can share with me on the topic of Trust Building? I’ve noticed that some people are great at carefully working to build trust over time. Can you provide any insights on this? It would be really helpful. Thank you.”

Great question isn’t it? And here’s the reason why.

The need to become a Trusted Consultant isn’t just the domain of those working as external consultants, advisors or coaches. Yes, it’s very important for those in that industry. But it’s just as relevant for anyone working insidea corporate environment, in fact anywork environment, corporate or not. I can’t think of a single work situation where it isn’t important to be viewed as and to behave as a Trusted Colleague or Advisor.

Posed with my friend’s question, I reflected back to last summer, when I had designed a two-day development programme on how to become successful as an executive and expert Trusted Consultant. One of the modules of this five part programme was on capability and building Trusted Relationships.

In this module, I cover the role of the ‘Trusted Consultant’, and describe a formula I learned from an important book: The Trusted Advisor by Charles H. Green. Yes, there actually is a ‘Formula for Trust’!

Conceived of 20 years ago, I find that this little-known formula is just as relevant today. I often reflect on the ‘Trust Formula’ when I am preparing to develop new professional relationships or build on my existing professional relationships.

So, here is the simple but powerful ‘Trust Formula’ created by Charles H. Green.

Let’s unpack the equation a little. Essentially, it identifies three factors that can have a positive effect on building trust. They are all on the top line.

Credibility

I think of this as the ability to be the knowledge holder, perhaps even the expert on the topic or area of interest for the client (a client can be inside or outside an organisation). Credibility is essentially the thing that makes you worth your seat in front of the client. Without credibility, it is very hard to sustain any relationship.

Reliability

Reliability is about sustainably and consistently delivering on promises or expectations. It’s the thing that makes any client think, anticipate and know that you will do what you say. It’s based on a track record of doing exactly that. Even when things go wrong, reliability shows up and lets the client know that things are going off track, what is being done to tackle that and what to expect now. No surprises. It therefore takes time to build and prove reliability.

Openness

This one is slightly unusual, in that openness is not spoken about too often in the business world. It may be easiest to understand this by casting our mind to those people we have encountered who have seemed to us untrustworthy. How open were they? Did they divulge their plans, values, intentions or anything about themselves of at all? Or was this information closely guarded? Did they seem to have a ‘closed off’ persona? Were they physically hidden from view or perhaps limited or very measured in communication? Openness is not about sharing every personal aspect of our private lives, but it is about being transparent in all our interactions in work.

People who have high levels of these three factors will succeed in the development of trust more easily and quickly than those who don’t.

Now, let’s move to the common denominator moderating all of the good effort on the top line: self-interest. 

Self-interest

Is about the level of personal self-interest that is displayed in all interactions, whether in person or not. If levels of self-interest, or even, in my experience perceivedself-interest, are high, the efforts applied in the top line are diluted hugely. Self-interest, whether perceived or not, is therefore very important, perhaps the most important single mitigating factor in the process of developing trust.

Let’s turn to practical methods of applying the Trust Equation in real life.

Here are some ways to build trust within teams, within colleagues, within your staff if you are a manager or director and with your clients if you sell products or services.

1.     Building credibility

·      Thoroughly prepare for all interactions, especially ones in the early days when there is no reliability or history to draw on.

·      Pay close attention to the details of what is delivered. If your work is written, have it checked, if your work is made, have it checked, if you make a commitment, make sure that you deliver.

·      If you don’t know something, say so! If you can’t fulfil a request, say so.

2.     Developing a reputation for reliability

·      Start as you mean to go on! Reliability is all about building up a track record of consistency. Your work needs to do exactly what it is meant to. Like the Ronseal tin: every time.

·      Make sure that you deliver on commitments to others. 

·      Reliability takes time: commit to the long-term.

3.     Building openness

·      Be absolutely honest about the project and every aspect of it.

·      Be transparent.

·      Share your visions, plans and goals.

4.     Balancing self-interest

·      Be open about plans, goals and visions. A ‘joined-up’ vision and plan will succeed over any individual plan every day of the week.

·      Be aware of how you may be perceived. Don’t let perceived self-interest reduce all of the good work you have done for credibility, reliability and openness.

In summary,

by learning from this equation we can develop genuine, deep and trusting relationships more quickly.

For some, trust building seems to come naturally, but in an increasingly risk aware workplace and cautious environment, it is only natural for us to be wary of others. There is just  too much at stake to get this wrong.

I've set these ideas on to my friend now and I hope this posting may help others to get started in developing inot a successful Trusted Advisor. Whether for external clients or customers, or within an organisation. 

Until next time, 

Gareth