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Personal Growth and Goals

Article

Trust
The Critical Success Factor

By Ken Chapman, Ph.D.
Copyright © All rights reserved.
Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc.

Trust is crucial in any type of relationship, whether it be within a family, a business, a civic club, or in a friendship.  When this important foundation exists, strong relationships are built and fed by encouragement and consistency.  People who receive a high level of trust have developed their character and have earned the right to be trusted. 

This is a vital bit of information for anyone in business as we move into the future.  Issues of trust and integrity will be the foundation upon which businesses succeed or fail in the coming decade.  Consumers are more skeptical and sophisticated - but more responsive to fair treatment and quality service.  Thus, the “integrity factor” will be critical.   

The good news is that trust depends very little upon a person’s name, his station in life, how much he has in the bank, or his position.  The key to consistent and dependable trust lies in the character of the person.  Whether in our homes, businesses, or community we are all responsible for being trustworthy.  We have to prove by example that we are as good as our word.  There is absolutely no other way to establish a reputation for being trustworthy except to be trustable. 

The consumers of the twenty-first century will not be naïve.  Before they put their trust in someone, they will want to see that the person is reliable.  And there is a growing body of evidence which suggests that the consumers will not give too many “second chances” where lack of trust is a factor. 

You can help develop trust in people by applying the following principles. 

1.      Demonstrate what you want to instill.  People need to see what they ought to be.  A cartoon punch line reads, “No matter what you teach children, they insist on behaving like their parents.”  We teach what we know, but we reproduce what we are.  The same is true in all relationships. 

2.      Encourage others.  Encouragement has the effect of a gentle rain; it causes steady growth.  The secret of Andrew Carnegie’s genius for developing others was his ability to encourage good qualities while holding faultfinding to a minimum.   Confidence withers under faultfinding.  Trust needs a foundation of simple goodwill. 

3.      Believe the best.  Develop a person’s expectation level by believing the best in him or her.  When you look up to people, they begin to look up to their dreams.  Recently, I spoke to some salespeople about their expectation level of those they oversee.  I explained that how we view a person is reflected in how we treat a person.  This is the principle of seeing people not as they are but as they can be.  Trust begets trust. 

4.      Help others be successful.  Develop confidence in others by helping them experience success.  We’ve all heard the slogan, “It doesn’t matter whether you win or lose” - until you lose!  Winning increases our self-image, our outlook on life, and lifts our expectation level.  It is an excellent investment to make in any client or employee.  The returns are unlimited and people invariably trust those who care about them. 

Give people the trust and encouragement they need.  Most will return your investment of trust.  By believing in people and helping them trust in themselves, you will establish a relationship in which everyone involved is a winner.

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Copyright © . All rights reserved. Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc.
Questions? Visit us online at www.LeadersCode.com ,
email us at info@leaderscode.com, or call us at (205) 366-0265