I hope you are having had a great week. Remember, tomorrow is another day to excel!
So which of these quotes appeals to you?
- “Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.” – William Shakespeare
- “Trust but verify!” – Ronald Reagan
- “Trust in dreams, for in them is hidden the gates to eternity.” – Khalil Gibran
- “The best way to find out if you trust somebody is to trust them.” – Ernest Hemingway
- “Trust is the glue of life. It is the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principal that holds all relationships.” – Stephen Covey
- “Trust is like the air we breathe; when its present nobody really notices, but when its absent, everybody notices.” – Warren Buffett
- “Trust me, I’m the President!” – Donald Trump
Anything jump at you? Trust is very personal. I tend to be a trusting person. Perhaps I’m the optimist, but I routinely extend my trust to those I have just met and to those with whom I do business; Likewise, I believe that my friends, acquaintances, colleagues, and others with whom I interact on a daily basis, can be trusted. However, not everyone agrees. Some have said, “Rick you are too trusting! Trust must be earned!” Others have not pulled any punches, “Rick, the only person you can trust is yourself. Others will stab you in the back at the first opportunity!” I believe our life experiences shape us and our attitudes.
So why is it important that we understand how to lead and manage in a manner that facilitates the development of trust? Beyond the altruistic reasons, there is a strong research base demonstrating that when compared with low-trust organizations, people at high-trust companies report: 74% less stress, 106% more energy at work, 50% higher productivity, 13% fewer sick days, 76% more engagement, 29% more satisfaction with their lives, and 40% less burnout.
The Neuroscience of Trust appears in this month’s Harvard Business Review. The author, Paul Zak, founding director of the Center for Neuroscience Studies, a professor of economics, psychology and management at Claremont Graduate University, and author of Trust Factor: The Science of Creating High Performance Companies, identifies a problem, proposes a solution, and highlights the payoff.
- Problem: Leaders know that low employee engagement is a sign of lost value. It’s something they want to fix, but most don’t know how. They hope that random perks will address the issue.
- Proposed Solution: Create a culture of trust through the utilization of eight (8) key management behaviors that stimulate the production of oxytocin, a brain chemical that facilitates teamwork.
- Payoff: Increased employee productivity and energy levels, improved collaboration, and cultivation of a happier, more loyal workforce
Additionally, HBR produced a one-hour Webinar: Neuroscience of Trust: Setting Leaders up for Success within which Zak presents his research.
Trust forms the basis for all relationships. Knowing this, why would we not want to engage in behaviors that serve to let people know that we trust them and in turn, they can trust us? That being said, I trust you will have a good week!
Embrace the Challenge,