Who to trust?
Stephen M.R. Covey* is our headline speaker at EA Masters and he’s also speaking live with our members this Thursday, 29th July, at our ‘All Members Conference’.
In his book, ‘The Speed of Trust – The One Thing that Changes Everything’ he highlights the typical issues people bring to his attention:
“I feel like my contributions at work are hardly recognised or valued.”
“I can’t stand the politics at work. It seems like everyone is out for himself.”
“I’ve really been burned in the past. How can I trust anyone enough to have a real relationship?”
“Work is bogged down with bureaucracy. It takes forever to get anything done. I have to get authorisation to buy a pencil!”
“The older my children get, the less they listen to me. What can I do?”
“My boss micromanages me and everyone else at work. He treats us all like we can’t be trusted.”
“With all the scandals, corruption and ethical violations in our society today, I feel like someone has pulled the rug from under me. I don’t know what – or who – to trust anymore.”
Have you experienced something similar?
Stephen describes five waves of trust: Self, Relationship, Organisational, Market, Societal.
My sense is that, everyday, we read stories of breakdowns in all these areas – so what to do?
It starts with self. Can you trust yourself? If not, then what hope do you have that others will trust you?
Stephen suggests there are “four cores of credibility” that add up to self trust, that in turn creates the opportunity to have trusting relationships:
- Integrity. Far more than just honesty, it’s integratedness. It’s walking the talk, being congruent in all dimensions. Above all it’s having the courage to act in accordance with your values.
- Intent. What are your motives, and resulting behaviours? If they’re not clear and believable then trust won’t exist.
- Capabilities. Whilst the first two cores address character, competence is also a determinator of trust. You can like someone, but if they’re not qualified for a particular role then you won’t trust them.
- Results. What’s your track record? If you’re inconsistent or worse, regularly fail, then you aren’t trustworthy.
There’s a lot of discussion about major societal issues right now – and understandably. But I do feel the energy would be best directed at self rather than castigating others. Be the person others trust unconditionally – then you’ll have the influence needed to make changes with others.
*Stephen M.R. Covey is speaking live, via satellite, with our members this Thursday. Whilst it’s now too late to join the event, future members will be able to see his presentation, along with 36 others we’ve recorded this year. Please note, membership isn’t for everyone, and we will discuss with you the commitment and investment before you sign up, but if you’d like to discover why many of the very best agents in the country are members, and see if you might also benefit, then do get in touch.
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