The Power of ‘Trust’

Trust is such a simple word, in meaning it is simply defined as:

trust  [truhst] –noun

1. reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence.

2. confident expectation of something; hope.

3. confidence in the certainty of future payment for property or goods received; credit: to sell merchandise on trust.

4. a person on whom or thing on which one relies: God is my trust.

5. the condition of one to whom something has been entrusted.

From its very definition we see there are some clear ingredients. Yet in business today it is often something that is not demonstrated amongst teams, colleagues, leaders or partners.

Trust is what is known as a nomilisation, (which in its simplicity is something that you can not fill a wheel barrow with) you can not see it, you can hear it through language and your certainly can feel it. It takes an age to develop, earn and build up yet a second to throw it all away.

People who I have the honour to Coach and share relationships with understand the immense importance that I place on Trust.

Have you asked this question of yourself?

ð How do I know I can trust others? My Colleagues? Friends?

Trust brings with it a risk, a chance of rejection, I remember being of a workshop many years ago where we were learning some principles around Trust and I recall a particular exercise that amused me at the time.

During one of the sessions we were asked to work in pairs and to choose someone of similar build to conduct a task. In our pairs someone had to face with their back to you and would fall back and as you have now imagined the other person (who in this case was me), had to catch your partner.

It would seem in essence that this would demonstrate some level of Trust yet not entirely. An integral lesson I have learnt in business is the ability to depend or rely. You see Trust in business allows us to follow this exercise and depend on the person that is going to catch us. It takes faith.

Depend as a word depicts a level of confidence in the person or circumstance that we will be ok. That is the difference with Trust. It is not ‘needing’ the other person to complete their part, which then gives a level of control it is depending, relying on them thus Trust.

In the workshop we all completed the task and caught each other and I was curious as to who would do it if someone had not caught them in the first place and then had to do it again? Would you the second time round?

Trust exists when there is something to lose, when we share something common a goal a project a challenge. It is my choice to rely on you its my free choice to do this. If you think back throughout your life and all of the relationships that matter to you, family, loved ones and pick perhaps a memory or in my case I remember when I first met my the love of my life Debbie Halls-Evans there were moments of huge risk, where you share more and more of your hopes and dreams, your life stories or something from your past however small or large and that moment when you tell them you feel vulnerable.

Throughout our relationship I can recall times when I have wanted to share something really deep or important to me and I have played it over and over in my head and when I then share it with her she has simply embraced me and listen. I’m sure we can all relate to these moments when it has turned out to be nothing in the end.

If we don’t invest time in creating an environment of trust then it always effects productivity, life experience, teamwork, chemistry of your team and how much people will give of themselves to support you.

When people have confidence in your as a colleague, line manager, leader or coach it radically changes the way your relationships function. When cultivated it can hugely influence and enhance your business.

In Stuart Wells book from Sage to Artisan “The Nine Roles of a value driven leader” he talks about the four levels of trust:

1. Negotiated Trust: People have trust because of formal agreements, based on what they say or mean formally, contracts or terms of employment.

2. Conditional Trust: People are willing to give people the benefits of the doubt to see how things work out. It is given first.

3. Cooperative Trust: People have expectations of each other. Trust is not diluted or eroded if things are not delivered on time they assume there has been a genuine hold up or issue. They work together to then find resolution.

4. Unconditional Trust: This is when people rely or depend on the word of each other not the behavior or differences, just their word.

“Trust does not exist unless it exists in you”

John C Maxwell

QUESTION: Can you trust yourself?

In the book Good to Great by Jim Collins he talks about the principle of the “Mirror” the opportunity to reflect and look at you, in your space and to be honest with yourself.

Reflect on your life today and see if there are ways you can be a cultivator of Trust in your relationships and make the changes.

If you want to know more visit our website www.stratagemplus.com or email me on dave.evans@stratagemplus.org would love to hear from you.

Published by Dave Evans Copyright 2009