Sunday, July 3, 2016

13 ways to build trust

I often hear complaints "but, my manager doesn't trust me". I've also heard exasperated managers complaining about their team member "if at all she could trust me". It is so tough to build trust and easy to lose. I present the following 13 behaviours that the celebrity author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey has come-up with after studying thousands of trusted leaders worldwide:

1. Talk Straight
2. Demonstrate Respect
3. Create Transparency
4. Right Wrongs
5. Show Loyalty
6. Deliver Results
7. Get Better
8. Confront Reality
9. Clarify Expectation
10. Practice Accountability
11. Listen First
12. Keep Commitments
13. Extend Trust 

Remember that the 13 Behaviors always need to be balanced by each other (e.g., Talk Straight needs to be balanced by Demonstrate Respect) and that any behavior pushed to the extreme can become a weakness

Depending on your roles and responsibilities, you may have more or less influence on others. However, you can always have extraordinary influence on your starting points: Self-Trust (the confidence you have in yourself -- in your ability to set and achieve goals, to keep commitments, to walk your talk, and also with your ability to inspire trust in others) and Relationship Trust (how to establish and increase the trust accounts we have with others).

Have a good story to share? The story of how you helped build trust or your manager helped to build trust? Please go ahead and share.

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