The Circle of Trust

Trust is the most important factor in human connection; in both business and personal relationships. If you can’t trust someone how can you expect to work towards common goals? There are two ends of the spectrum when it comes to trust: on one extreme, there are people who can build almost immediate and uninhibited trust and on the opposite end of the continuum; those that are incapable of trusting others at all. Both cases can be detrimental to a balanced mental state – the first situation presents ample opportunity for disappointment and the second scenario causes an overwhelming feeling of isolation. Most of us reside somewhere in-between these two cases; and use a combination of intuition and experience to navigate the development of meaningful relationships. 

The fragility of trust shouldn’t be underestimated as one minor blunder can cause irreparable damage. The ‘Three C’s of Trust’ will help you maximise your ability to be trusted by others and inevitably create a Circle of Trust within your family, workplace and beyond.

1.    Competence – Do you instill credibility in others? Do you have the necessary skills and talent to do your job effectively? Are you renowned for setting the bar high and for holding others to account? Have you purposely and strategically invested time/money/energy in honing your craft with the intention of creating maximum impact in all you do? One of the core components of trust-building is not only knowing your craft but executing with precision to demonstrate your competence. Working with a steely sense of professionalism unmistakably communicates that you are a capable and dependable person to those around you.

In the workplace, you can edge closer towards the circle of trust by being devoted to results and simultaneously delivering an exceptional service-experience. When you focus on maintaining the highest levels of professionalism throughout your career you will undoubtedly build lasting connections centered on trust. 

2.    Character – Does your moral compass point you in the right direction? Are you an authentic human-being? Are your private and public personas aligned or do you suffer from Dr-Jekyll-and-Mr-Hyde-complex? The combination of your essence (internal) and the way you conduct yourself (external) can be defined as your character. Trust is built when you are a person others can count on – lending support; sharing learning and genuinely showing interest all strengthen the circle of trust. Conduct yourself as someone worthy and – more importantly – deserving of peoples’ trust by treating people as you wish to be treated.  

In the workplace, this means having a sense of integrity and the resolve to avert temptation or alignment to the wrong people. Your line manager will trust you more when you genuinely engage in your work by seeking ways to improve the department/business. Positively representing the organisation (even outside working hours) works wonders and always comes full-circle as you stand out in the broader community as a trustworthy person of substance.

3.    Consistency – Can people depend on you to deliver without fail? Are there inconsistencies in your character that cause you to act unpredictably? Are there noticeable gaps in your knowledge that may affect your proficiency at work? Being a competent, upstanding citizen isn’t sufficient; trust is truly built when you can consistently sustain your professionalism over time. If you want to play a game of tennis, you need to keep thrashing the ball back over the net – one expert shot simply won’t cut the mustard if your goal is to win.

In the workplace, this means you will have developed a positive reputation that precedes you – an irrefutable beacon for high standards and a winning attitude accompanied with a progressive mindset.

Trust is built and maintained by many small actions over time – it is not a matter of technique, tricks or tools but of character. At the end of the day we are trusted because of our way of being, not because of our polished exteriors or our expertly crafted communications. Start today with a concerted effort to cultivate, earn and build trust, and discover the incredible difference it can make t your life.

[Published in The Citizen on Tuesday 26th September 2017]