Доверяй, но проверяй

– Russian proverb meaning “trust but verify”

 

Trust

It is such a simple word.

Or is it? When asked to define it, nearly anyone I ask about it, mentions honesty as a key word in the definition. And while honest is a key ingredient in being trustworthy, it only scratches the surface of how complicated that simple word is. Without trust, you won’t make the sale, get the promotion or bonus, find your true love or be believed if you are accused of something you didn’t do. Trustworthy people though get the benefit of the doubt.

 

How is it that Warren Buffet can do  billion dollar deals on the promise of his word ? Trust.

What was one of the principal reasons Hillary Clinton struggled with the electorate? Trust.

What is the main problem President-elect Donald Trump is already having before he is even inaugurated? TRUST!

In The Speed of Trust, author Stephen MR Covey (the son of legendary author Stephen Covey) has written the bible of understanding trust. This is a book that should not be read… it should be studied. As you think about 2017 and as you build your Career Capital , perhaps the greatest rare and valuable asset you can acquire, is to become trustworthy.

 

TRAIT 1 – INTEGRITY

Are you honest? Do you “walk your talk”? Do you have the courage to live your life in accordance with your values? Do you say one thing and do another?

Mr. Covey believes that most failures in trust are due to violations  in  our integrity.

 

TRAIT 2 – INTENT

What is your agenda? Are you hiding it from the people you deal with? Are you transparent? Are you in your current job giving it your all or planning your next move?

Hidden agendas (even if only suspected) kills trust.

 

 

TRAIT 3 – CAPABILITIES

Do you have the talent and skills to get the job done? Would you trust your family doctor to perform brain surgery on you? Are you conscientiously building your skillset or are you allowing your abilities to whither?

 

TRAIT 4 – RESULTS

Do you have a track record of performance to back you up? Have you been able to promise and deliver? Are you taking credit for results generated by someone else (back to integrity)?

Do you wish to be instantly “trustworthy”? Get results! But a warning here, being trustworthy is a composition of all 4 traits. Lacking even one of these traits will sabotage your trustworthiness in the long-run. As an example of how results by themselves don’t equate to trustworthiness, consider  Al “Chainsaw” Dunlap  .

Al Dunlap got results. Al was well known for turning around struggling companies. Al developed a reputation of taking a chainsaw (hence the nickname) to companies, with huge layoffs and streamlining. He got “results” in that he was able to get struggling companies back to profitability. But what is now well known is that he also gutted the culture and reputation of those companies as well. When you take a chainsaw to a tree, what’s left is not a tree any longer.

 

 

SUMMARY

Trustworthiness is your most prized asset. Be honest and transparent, be skillful and use those skills to get results. As you think about building your Career Capital, make trustworthiness the central foundation of your quest.

 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

 

• Speed of Trust website:   http://goo.gl/oHKKIg
• Slideshare:

• • http://goo.gl/9YbErM
  • http://goo.gl/iNE7bh

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/StephenMRCovey
• Book Reviews:  http://goo.gl/osnXKT
• Book Summary:  https://www.cu.edu/sites/default/files/ExecTrust.pdf
• Summary of Quotes:  http://goo.gl/LIJXl6