This is a tough topic. Trust comes up frequently as a leadership skill, but in and of itself, it is an imprecise word it seems. And if we want to have more trust in our team or in our organization, how do we go about that? I am not how to walk down the street and "act trust".
Given that, I did find a good discussion of this topic in Brene Brown's book Rising Strong. On pages 198 and following, she discusses the several elements of trust that she found in her research. Fortunately perhaps, these do have some more visible behavioral components:
It seems possible that one could develop a checklist that could be used to measure "doing trust." Did I complete what I said I would do this week? Did I keep confidences? Did I ask for what I need? Did I withhold negative judgements? Maybe that starts to approach something that is measurable.
A couple of notes:
Interesting that "judgement" is mentioned twice and implied in the idea of "most generous interpretation." Making (negative) judgements about people, their behaviors, or their motivations seems to be the opposite of trust.
Another line from Brene Brown follows this list: "...You'll see that mistakes don't bankrupt trust in the way that violations of personal accountability, integrity, or values can. Trust and mistakes (note: I would add failure) can coexist, and often do, as long as we make amends, stay aligned with our values, and confront shame and blame head-on."
Given that, I did find a good discussion of this topic in Brene Brown's book Rising Strong. On pages 198 and following, she discusses the several elements of trust that she found in her research. Fortunately perhaps, these do have some more visible behavioral components:
- Boundaries -- You respect my boundaries, and when you're not clear about what's okay and not okay, you ask. You're willing to say no.
- Reliability -- You do what you say you'll do. At work, this means staying aware of your competencies and limitations so that you don't overpromise and are able to deliver on commitments and balance competing priorities.
- Accountability -- You own your mistakes, apologize, and make amends.
- Vault -- You don't share information or experiences that are not yours to share. I need to know that my confidences are kept, and that you're not sharing with me any information about other people that should be confidential.
- Integrity -- You choose courage over comfort. You choose what is right over what is fun, fast, or easy. And you choose to practice your values rather than simply professing them.
- Nonjudgement -- I can ask for what I need, and you can ask for what you need. We can talk about how we feel without judgement.
- Generosity -- You extend the most generous interpretation possible to the intentions, words, and actions of others.
It seems possible that one could develop a checklist that could be used to measure "doing trust." Did I complete what I said I would do this week? Did I keep confidences? Did I ask for what I need? Did I withhold negative judgements? Maybe that starts to approach something that is measurable.
A couple of notes:
Interesting that "judgement" is mentioned twice and implied in the idea of "most generous interpretation." Making (negative) judgements about people, their behaviors, or their motivations seems to be the opposite of trust.
Another line from Brene Brown follows this list: "...You'll see that mistakes don't bankrupt trust in the way that violations of personal accountability, integrity, or values can. Trust and mistakes (note: I would add failure) can coexist, and often do, as long as we make amends, stay aligned with our values, and confront shame and blame head-on."
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