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Gyan Gurus - Organisational Effectiveness

Trust makes all things possible  (View Comments)

Rajan Kaicker is the Executive Chairman of RCS SouthAsia and Franklin Covey South Asia. He is a Global Master Trainer with Franklin Covey as also a Columbia University Certified Coach.

Posted On Wednesday, February 24, 2010 at 10:58:08 AM

Trust is absolutely vital. You simply cannot do business without trust. For instance, even while engaging in the simplest of transactions such as buying fuel, you trust that you are getting quality petrol; you trust that the prices are reasonable and as per existing market rates; and you trust that the person selling you fuel will accept your money. There are just so many elements to the simplest transaction that require trust.

At an organisational level, the impact of trust is compounded. Trust acts as a catalyst in the traditional formula for strategy implementation, dramatically enhancing or diminishing results. In the course of my work, I often come across employees who mistrust management initiatives and believe there are hidden agendas whenever new proposals are introduced. Frequently, the lack of trust is based on experience from previous internal implementation processes, strategic planning, and other organisational initiatives. Because executives often have no means of measuring its bottom-line impact, they have little motivation to seriously address declining trust. Employees’ mistrust and lack of confidence can undermine even the best of strategies and execution processes.

Low-trust environments are filled with hidden agendas, political games, interpersonal conflict, interdepartmental rivalries, and people bad-mouthing each other behind their backs while sweet-talking them to their faces. These factors literally undermine and eventually destroy relationships. Ultimately, the culture will become driven by urgency rather than importance because everyone is in it for themselves and for their own agenda. However, trust makes all things possible.

In our modern day society, bogged down with the effects of the recession, there is now an uneasy caution about whom you can trust in both the public and the private sectors. With retrenchments and business outsourcing on the increase amongst larger companies, integrity and confidentiality are at stake. For the longest time trust has been taken for granted and the levels of trust in most organisations are now at an all time low.
 Over the years research has definitively shown that high-trust organisations do not have to pay the taxes that their low-trust counterparts have to pay. Imagine what a competitive advantage you would have if you were able to nurture trust in an environment of ever decreasing trust. 

Some time back I had an interesting interaction with one of my business associates who was surprised that I was not affronted by his articulation of an opinion that was extremely different from mine. I was stunned that he did not believe that it was safe and very healthy to courteously express your true outlook without sugar coating it. I genuinely believe that different points of view can be a great beginning for nurturing trust and not the end of it. Courteous straight talk around different standpoints adds to trust while hiding your true feelings while pretending to have a candid discussion is a phony behavior that destroys trust. In fact the greatest high trust relationships are based on open, straight forward communication and it’s good to work with those that see things differently as that fuels innovation and invention. 


In the current environment of economic uncertainty, it is more important than ever for you to give people someone they can trust. Many people are afraid to call their customers and other stakeholders for fear of hearing bad news. Guess what? The bad news is there whether or not you want to hear it. Much better to confront reality and give your customer a listening outlet to discuss challenges and feel understood than to abandon the relationship during difficult times. Now is the time to over-communicate with your customers and other key stakeholders. Give them someone they can trust by behaving in ways that inspire trust.
 

Here’s our suggestion - Regain your momentum by doubling your contacts. Call the ones you are afraid to call first. Ask for business, ask for referrals and ask for favours. They are as afraid and starved for meaningful dialogue as you are. Go for it. Then have the courage and monomaniacal discipline to follow up relentlessly. Don’t take non-responsiveness personally. Others are frozen and need your consistent concern to thaw them. Stay with this relentless follow-up and you will be very glad you did. One of two things will happen: 1) You will have the happy surprise of good news and will grow your business immediately or  2) you will be the first one they think of when things improve, as you were likely one of the very few that communicated with them during tough times. Increase your credibility and make doing business at the Speed of Trust your unique competitive advantage this year.   
 
The author Mr. Rajan Kaicker, is the Executive Chairman of Franklin Covey South Asia and RCS SouthAsia. He is a Results Certified Coach, Lead Trainer and Mentor and has provided direct advice to leaders globally on their role in a change environment, how that role should be performed and the particular behavioral competencies the leader needs to demonstrate. He is a Global Master Trainer with Franklin Covey as also a Columbia University Certified Coach.          

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