Trust: The Unsaid Factor for Greenlighting Projects

In the past two weeks, I had contrasting experiences with grocery shopping. A fruit vendor handpicked top quality fruits for me, which turned out to be substandard. Contrast this with another vendor who convinced me to buy the lower-priced of two variants of raisins, which have turned out to be awesome. It’s clear who will get my repeat business, but the more interesting aspect is what they really ended up losing.

My complete trust.

I may still shop with them - everyone deserves second and third chances - but will be much more diligent. In there is a lesson for getting the green light for any project you’re pitching.

As our careers progress, we will find ourselves facing complex situations.

We may not know everything we’d like to. In hairy situations where run-time decisions need to be made, the best leader is one who holds the trust. The team believes in this person. As does the management.

Wait - is skill or talent undervalued compared to trust?

Yes, to an extent. There will always be a skill gap. However, a gap in how decisions are made is not acceptable. Think of how many times a sporting event has been won by an inferior team compared to the most talented one. Dig deep and you will find that the team that made better decisions won in the end.

Where does trust come in the picture?

The team executed on the decisions. When people are not convinced, it shows in their body language and ultimately their performance. When the process is not sound, getting the output is a coin toss.

If your leadership trusts you, getting extra budget is a possibility. Making a case for a change of plans gets you an audience that is willing to listen with an open mind. That is a huge factor. For innovation and strategy projects, that is the main factor. This is also one reason why some entrepreneurs keep getting funded - one strong reason is their investors believe in THE person.

How does one cultivate trust?

This is a test of character, which is proven when things get tough. Own up to blind spots, issues you should have caught earlier, or made a mess. People can sense intent miles away. However, this is a subjective factor. You will rarely be able to pinpoint a situation where the Trustometer swung the right way.

If I had to suggest one approach to practice, here’s what it would be:

1. A systems mindset helps. Take decisions that help everyone around you. See how your decision can affect all around you whether it’s customers, vendors, or the business.
2. Communicate how you are arriving at those decisions. A clear communicator finds it easier to get buy-in.
3. When things are not going to plan, refer to point 1 above :-)

That’s it for today.

Happy Ideating!

Hemang.