Friday
Oct292010
Tip: Trust
Friday, October 29, 2010 at 9:15AM
Lately it has been shown that twin fetuses seek each others out in the womb. To belong, to be a part, to connect might be our deepest need. Trust is the key to the door of belonging. We are like stray dogs following strangers along the street, hoping that they will let us in. We are willing to be vulnerable so that we can relate. Trust and the need to belong are keys to happiness and productivity in work-teams.
Photo by FurLined Flickr CC
Taylor McConnell in Group Leadership for Self Realization, says that:
If trust in the group is low, which means that the willingness to be vulnerable is low, participants will not share their doubts.
From experience and scientific publications we know that students learn more from their colleagues' questions than from what the teacher says. To me this clearly shows the importance of trust in the working groups, participants must be willing to be vulnerable for effective learning and continuous improvement to take place.
Lieutenant Colonel Diane Ryan, lists 6 questions in the Harvard Business Review, to help you build trust:
I strive to be trust-worthy, behave in ways that pave the way for trust. To trust I feel is intimate, a decision that each individual makes, to be trust-worthy facilitates trust.
Trust must not only be earned, it must be maintained. It is interesting how different this is between countries. It seems to be that in environments where people move a lot, it is easier to create and maintain trust. In expatriate communities everyone knows that time is limited, people become friends and cooperate readily, with mostly good results.
Some authors indicate that Americans, who are used to moving, have low-maintenance relationships whereas in Japan and Germany more visits and eating together is needed to keep the relationship alive.
Being Swedish by birth but working for almost all of my life in Latin countries, I come from a high-trust society but work in low-trust environments. How does it feel? At times you feel disappointed but for no good reason.
A typical example is negotiations, the bids in low-trust societies seem outrageous and offensive to someone from a high-trust background. All of the Scandinavian countries are high-trust, yesterday I read a blog post by a Finnish lady who had moved to Morocco, she clearly felt offended by the local low-trust behavior.
At present, in times of economic downturn, it is clear that northern Europe is doing fine and the southern parts are struggling. Maybe the varying degrees of trust plays a role in this difference, what I can say is that work is faster and less of a struggle in high-trust environments.
One last very important observation: It is not that difficult to build high-trust companies in low-trust countries but it has to be a conscious effort. The stepping stones are Tuckman's classical stages of "Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing".
How do you deal with differences in trust? What is your experience?
Photo by FurLined Flickr CCProductive people trust
Taylor McConnell in Group Leadership for Self Realization, says that:
The most productive people are the most trusting people. If this seems to be an astonishing statement, it shows how distorted the concept of trust has become. Trust is one of the most essential qualities of human relationships. Without it, all human interaction, all commerce, all society would disappear.
If trust in the group is low, which means that the willingness to be vulnerable is low, participants will not share their doubts.
Impacts on learning
From experience and scientific publications we know that students learn more from their colleagues' questions than from what the teacher says. To me this clearly shows the importance of trust in the working groups, participants must be willing to be vulnerable for effective learning and continuous improvement to take place.
Creating Trust
Lieutenant Colonel Diane Ryan, lists 6 questions in the Harvard Business Review, to help you build trust:
- Do I place trust in my employees as a prerequisite to earning theirs?
- What are my organization/profession's shared values and culture?
- Have these values been articulated within the organization to the point they are internalized and go without saying?
- How much do I know about my employees and their families and how well do they know me?
- What experiences can I offer to increase cooperation and familiarity in ways that are appropriate and rewarding?
- And last but certainly not least, does my personal competence inspire trust in my subordinates?
I strive to be trust-worthy, behave in ways that pave the way for trust. To trust I feel is intimate, a decision that each individual makes, to be trust-worthy facilitates trust.
Maintaining Trust
Trust must not only be earned, it must be maintained. It is interesting how different this is between countries. It seems to be that in environments where people move a lot, it is easier to create and maintain trust. In expatriate communities everyone knows that time is limited, people become friends and cooperate readily, with mostly good results.
Some authors indicate that Americans, who are used to moving, have low-maintenance relationships whereas in Japan and Germany more visits and eating together is needed to keep the relationship alive.
A personal experience
Being Swedish by birth but working for almost all of my life in Latin countries, I come from a high-trust society but work in low-trust environments. How does it feel? At times you feel disappointed but for no good reason.
A typical example is negotiations, the bids in low-trust societies seem outrageous and offensive to someone from a high-trust background. All of the Scandinavian countries are high-trust, yesterday I read a blog post by a Finnish lady who had moved to Morocco, she clearly felt offended by the local low-trust behavior.
At present, in times of economic downturn, it is clear that northern Europe is doing fine and the southern parts are struggling. Maybe the varying degrees of trust plays a role in this difference, what I can say is that work is faster and less of a struggle in high-trust environments.
One last very important observation: It is not that difficult to build high-trust companies in low-trust countries but it has to be a conscious effort. The stepping stones are Tuckman's classical stages of "Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing".
How do you deal with differences in trust? What is your experience?
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