Two simple ingredients to build trust
/As soon as someone says “You just need to trust me” the spidey sense starts tingling! It feels like the wool is being pulled and instantly arouses suspicion - even when the intent is genuine.
Several of the leaders I spoke to this week lamented how long trust takes to build. In reality it can be built quickly with 2 simple ingredients.
Do what you say you will do, when you say you will do it. If there’s a valid reason that won’t happen, renegotiate the timeframe and details. Follow through builds trust quickly. It shows commitment, care and competence. People notice that. The absence of follow through erodes trust quickly too. One of the easiest ways to do this is to always make sure you keep people informed. Follow through if no one knows is the same as no follow through.
Be consistent in how you show up. If people are second guessing what mood you’ll be in all the time, it creates massive uncertainty and damages trust. We all have variation in mood, and I’m not suggesting you act inauthentically. As James Clear says in Atomic Habits, “It’s like an election, you just need a strong majority”.
Trust builds fast when individuals and teams hold a high standard in these ingredients.