Imagine telling someone: “I’m going to be taking you on a long, dangerous, and difficult trip. There will be times you are likely to be very uncomfortable, and there may be terrible storms. I’m not going to tell you where we are going, why we are going, where we are going, or how we will get there. Just TRUST ME. “
How do you think that would make anyone feel?
In organizations, when a leader is implementing organizational change – when a boss is making major decisions that will affect employees – it doesn’t work to say “just trust me.”
Like frightened children, people will come up with all kinds of reasons to resist and refuse why they do not want to come along on the trip – even if it’s a good one!
Most of us, do not want to take trips into the unknown and without a destination.
Telling people “just trust me” is naiveté at its worst.
It shows an enormous amount of disrespect, sometimes even dishonesty. And, maybe even delusional!
In business today, trust has to be earned. In leadership today, trust has to be gained.
Trust is being congruent: Match your words with your actions what you say you will do you do. Being trusted is being dependable.
Trust is embracing transparency. When it comes to trust, the more you reveal the more you can see. When trust is transparent it can be embraced.
Trust is honoring promises. Keep what you promised – and if you can go the extra mile and honor and deliver more than you promised.
Trust is a two-way street. To make someone trustworthy, you need to trust them first. The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.
Trust is risk.Trust lies between faith and probability. To risk is to put yourself out of your comfort zone.Take the risk and have the faith in trust to pull you through.
Trust is a relationship. Trust begins with the self in relationship with another. Trust others as you would wish to be trusted.
Trust is the glue when it comes to organizational change. it is a foundational element that holds us together.
Trust your people so they can engage and be part of the change.
Trust your people so they can enroll and add value to the change.
Trust your people so they can embrace and understand and respect the change.
Lead from within: Any leader who says “just trust me” and expects loyalty is going to get a group of employees who resent the journey instead of enjoying the adventure. Trust grasps another human being in their innermost core of loyalty.
