Learning to Trust

I was in Barnes and Noble a month or so ago ... looking for something ... something that I could learn from ... something to help me and the business grow. It wasn't long before I came across The Speed of Trust from a Covey ... not the dad Stephen Covey, but the son ... Stephen M. R. Covey.

The first thought I had was ... did this guy just get his 'luck' from his dad and write a book because he could or because he actually had something to say. Something that mattered ... that would make a difference. The temptation was too much to bear so out came the debit card.

Weeks later and a few hundred pages that have strolled past the 'ol eyeballs I have to admit it was not only a great read, but also has made a lingering impact on me. To truly understand I suggest devouring it yourself, but to summarize ... I have a new appreciation for TRUST. Here are some principles I pulled out and have already started to use as part of our 'employee handbook'.

Core Expectations
Integrity
A person has integrity when there is no gap between intent and behavior … when you are whole, seamless, the same – inside and out. It’s about having humility and being more concerned with what is right than being right, about acting on good ideas rather than always having the ideas, about building the team than exalting ones self.
“Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.” – Albert Einstein

Intent
Motive is your reason for doing something. It’s the why that motivates the what. Agenda grows out of motive. It’s what you intend to do or promote because of your motive. Behavior is the manifestation of motive and agenda … the best result is acting in the best interest of others.
“In law a man is guilty when he violates the rights of another. In ethics, he is guilty if he only thinks of doing so.” – Immanuel Kent

Capabilities
The talents, skills, knowledge, capacities, and abilities we have that enable us to perform with excellence. Our capabilities give us the self-confidence that we can do what needs to be done. We must continue to learn, grow and develop new skills … else we won’t possess what’s necessary to succeed in leading the industry w/ innovation.
“The complacent company is a dead company. Success today requires the agility and drive to constantly rethink, reinvigorate, react, and reinvent.” – Bill Gates

Results
Take responsibility for results … not activities. We tend to get what we expect so expect to be successful. Results are all about finishing, so finish well. Do or do not; there is no try – Master Yoda.
“It’s no use saying, ‘We are doing our best.’ You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary” -Winston Churchill

Core Responsibilities
Talk Straight
Be honest. Tell the truth. Let people know where you stand. Use simple language. Call things what they are. Demonstrate integrity. Don’t manipulate people or distort facts. Don’t spin the truth. Don’t leave false impressions.
“What upsets me is not that you lied to me, but that I can no longer believe you.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

Demonstrate Respect
Genuinely care for others. Show you care. Respect the dignity of every person and every role. Treat everyone with respect. Show kindness in the little things. Don’t fake caring.
“You can judge a person’s character by the way he treats people who can’t help him or hurt him”.

Right Wrongs
Make things right when you are wrong. Apologize quickly. Make restitution where possible. Demonstrate personal humility. Don’t cover things up. Don’t let pride get in the way of doing the right thing.
“To know what is right and not to do it is the worst cowardice” – Confucius

Deliver Results
Establish a track record of results. Get the right things done. Make things happen. Accomplish what you are hired to do. Be on time and within budget. Don’t over-promise and under-deliver. Don’t make excuses for not delivering.
“We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done” – Longfellow

Get Better
Continuously improve. Increase your capabilities. Find a method to receive feedback and accept it graciously. Act on the feedback you receive. Thank people for feedback. Don’t consider yourself above feedback. Don’t assume today’s knowledge and skills will be sufficient for tomorrow’s challenges.
“One of the reasons people stop learning is that they become less and less willing to risk failure” – John Gardner

Confront Reality
Address the tough stuff directly. Acknowledge the unsaid. Lad out courageously in conversation. Don’t skirt the real issues. Don’t bury your head in the sand.
Clarify Expectations
Create a shared vision and agreement about what is to be done up front. Disclose and reveal expectations. Discuss them. Validate them. Renegotiate them if needed and possible. Don’t violate expectations. Don’t assume that expectations are clear or shared.

Practice Accountability
Hold yourself accountable. Hold others accountable. Take responsibility for results. Be clear on how you’ll communicate how you’re doing – and how others are doing. Don’t avoid or shirk responsibility. Don’t blame others or point fingers when things go wrong.

Listen First
Listen with your ears – and your eyes and heart. Don’t assume you know what matters most to others. Don’t presume you have all the answers – or all the questions.
“If there is any great secret of success in life, it lies in the ability to put yourself in the other person’s place and to see things from his point of view – as well as your own” – Henry Ford

Keep Commitments
Say what you’re going to do, then do what you say you’re going to do. Make commitments carefully and keep them. Don’t break confidences.

Extend Trust
Extend trust abundantly to those who have earned your trust. Extend trust appropriately to those who are earning your trust. Have a propensity to trust. Don’t withhold trust because there is risk involved.
“Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly and they will show themselves great.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson