Thoughts on Trust

Trust is an emotionally-charged concept that tells us very little about
how to behave so we are trusted by others. We treat it as a behavior,
when it is actually an outcome of performance in several dimensions.

When we say we want someone to trust us or we don't trust someone we are
making a summary statement. To really understand it, we have to get to
the components.

Competence
When you ask me if I trust you, you may really be asking whether
or not I think you are competent. Do I believe you do what you
represent yourself as being capable of doing?

Consistency
When you ask me if I trust you, you may be asking if I believe
that you are reliable, that you will deliver what you promise.
You may be asking if I trust your constancy.

Courage
You may be asking, do I think that you have courage? People who
have courage are willing to try new, creative and innovative
ways of doing things, of taking action even when we don't know
for cert ain the outcome we are likely to produce, of taking
actions that may be unpopular.

Character
You may be asking about character. One of the most basic
elements of character is integrity. Do you treat people
ethically and honestly in all of your dealings with them? Can I
trust you to tell me the truth as you know it? Are you
committed to improving yourself?

Caring
The way we treat people is a critical element of showing trust.
We trust people when we believe that they have our best
interests at heart in all our interactions. We trust people who
listen to us, even though they may disagree. We also get a
sense of how much to trust people by the amount of gossiping or
negative/blaming they do of other people.

Composure
The degree to which you serve as a role model for how to behave
under pressures and crises at work also reflects on your
trustworthiness. How well you manage your resistance to change,
how you deal with feedback, etc.