What do you do if your colleagues and clients don't trust you?

Definitely the truth before everything. A liar falls first, before a lame person, my grandmother said. Thus, sincerity and integrity are the variables that must prevail in every relationship, not only in the professional one.

Identify the issue: Before diving into solutions, pinpoint the specific reasons behind the trust deficit. Were there broken promises, missed deadlines, or unclear communication? Schedule one-on-one discussions: Seek out honest conversations with colleagues or clients. Let them know you value their opinion and want to understand their perspective. Acknowledge mistakes: If you've made errors, take responsibility and explain how you'll avoid repeating them. Be transparent: Provide clear and consistent communication. Keep them informed about progress and any potential roadblocks. Deliver on commitments: Follow through on your promises and deadlines. Reliability is key to building trust.

Open communication is always vital, especially in preventing the loss of trust. Recently, our flagship vessel faced a critical issue when the water pump malfunctioned just before guests were set to board. Instead of hiding the problem, I personally reached out to the guests, explained the situation, apologized, and presented all their options transparently. This honesty and openness were greatly appreciated by the guests, who have since returned as loyal customers. Building trust involves maintaining open communication and promptly addressing any issues that may arise. However, if trust is lost, it is crucial to take immediate steps to acknowledge the situation and work towards rebuilding that trust through transparent actions and comms

And this demonstration must be evidenced by following up on the promised actions. What words without actions will do is increase distrust in you, and deteriorate your image. Remember that you are the maker of your image, you are the builder of your personal brand, and you should always worry about your reputation.

You may never know that you have lost it as people do not trust you enough to tell you. Trust is often difficult to build but once lost it can be almost impossible to restore. The best option is to not lose trust in the first place. Loss of trust comes from some form of betrayal of that trust. Acting with integrity, fairness, transparency, and empathy are good places to start and are good places to go to if trust has been bruised. Build up reputational capital by being consistently trustworthy and it will help with misunderstandings along the way. I have never seen someone fully recover trust once it was gone. A scar seems to remain (that’s how we learn) but relationships can mostly heal with effort. EQ is your friend.