Building Trust

 “The first thing for any leader is to inspire trust.”

– Doug Conant, Past President and CEO of Campbell Soup

This article series is about learning how to serve well as leaders and create high-performing organizations. We are relying on the over 40 years of wisdom and experience of Ken Blanchard and his associates as we go. 

In his work, Blanchard lays out four keys to serving well as a leader. They are:

• Set your sights on the right target and vision. 
• Treat customers right. 
• Treat your people right.
• Have the right kind of leadership. 

This week we want to start learning about how to “treat your people right.” The war for talent is at an all-time high. Treating your people right and being an employer of choice is a requirement to be a high-performing organization. Now, more than ever. 

In these articles, I am referencing “Leading at a Higher Level”, third edition by Ken Blanchard and company. It is the most comprehensive summary of Blanchard’s work I have found. I highly recommend it. In the book, Blanchard has dedicated 14 chapters on how to treat people right (the next largest section has two chapters!). I think that is an indication of how important this is, but also how difficult it can be. 

Today’s topic is trust. Great organizations run on trust. Low-performing organizations are dragged down by lack of it. 

Trust leads to engaged team members and high performance, but it is lacking in many of today’s organizations. A poll by Maritz Consulting found that only 7% of workers strongly agree that they “trust their senior leaders to make decisions that benefit the workers.” 

Trust is a measurable economic driver. A Watson Wyatt study found that high-trust organizations outperformed low-trust organizations in total return to shareholders by 286%. Why? According to research done by the Franklin Covey organization, there are trust taxes and trust dividends. 

Lack of trust tax an organization through the following: Redundancy, Bureaucracy, Politics, Disengagement, Turnover (of employees), Churn (of customers, suppliers, distributors, and investors), and Fraud. 

High trust organizations benefit from the following trust dividends: Increased Value, Accelerated Growth, Enhanced Innovation, Improved Collaboration, Stronger Partnering, Better Execution, and Heightened Loyalty. 

So how do we build trust in our organizations and take advantage of these trust dividends? There are several great trust models out there. If you review several of them, I think you will walk away with the same primary themes. Blanchard’s model is the ABCD Trust Model. Below is an overview. 

Able

Can leaders work with their teams to get the job done? This is all about competence. Able leaders get quality results, resolve problems, develop skills and use their skills to assist others. They pass on what they have learned to benefit their people. 

Believable

Is the leader fair? People need to feel that they are being treated equitably to follow a leader. Do leaders express and follow their core values? If we act differently than the values we express, we won’t be trusted. Believable leaders keep confidences, admit when they are wrong, are honest and sincere, do not talk behind people’s backs, reserve judgment, and show respect. 

Connected

Trust-worthy leaders care about their people and make the time to understand their needs. They work with their people to help them meet their personal goals while they help the organization reach its goals. Connected leaders are transparent. They admit when they are scared or overwhelmed and bring together their team to overcome these challenges. Connected leaders listen well and ask for input, celebrate and praise, and show empathy. 

Dependable

Is your “yes your yes.” When you say something can people depend on you to do it? Do you ask your people to hold you accountable? We all drop balls from time to time, but trustworthy leaders accept responsibility and work to make it right. 

How can you build organizational trust using the ABCD model? There are four steps:

1. Know – The ABCD trust model. Teach it and talk about it. 
2. Assess – The current trust level. Assess yourself and ask those around to anonymously assess you. 
3. Diagnose – Openly discuss the findings of your assessment and create plans to improve areas that need work. 
4. Conversation – Engage your team in fixing trust issues. Have the hard, transparent conversation. Be vulnerable. 

I hope this helps you understand the benefits of creating a high trust organization and inspires you to get started on the journey.

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