Replenishing The Trust Deficit

Most of us weren’t surprised when Pew Research reported, “Only 22% percent of the public trust the government in Washington almost always or most of the time.” We were unfazed when Gallup found, “Americans’ confidence in banks is at a historic low.” And we didn’t blink when a Maritz poll told us, “Only 10% of employees trust management to make the right decisions in times of uncertainty.”
But teachers? Cheating?! When teachers in Atlanta falsified standardized test scores by erasing wrong answers and supplying correct ones, we were shocked. With upwards of 175 educators, including principals, involved in the falsifying of results, the question echoes again, “who can you trust?”

These troubling trends and heart-grabbing headlines affect our collective psyche, diminish our sense of well-being, and reinforce the impression that everyone from teachers to politicians are not worthy of our trust.
But, you and I aren’t going to rebuild broken trust in Washington, increase perceptions of the banking industry, or impact confidence in Atlanta teachers. Still, that shouldn’t stop us from replenishing the trust deficits in own businesses, work groups, and relationships. Start there. Don’t let what you can’t change affect what you can. Here are some tips to get you started:

Start with self-trust. It’s hard to trust others if you don’t trust yourself. Lack of self-trust is a precursor to distrusting others.
Can you count on yourself to deliver what you say you will?
Can you trust your motives, intentions, impulses and judgment? The most important relationship you have is with yourself.
Keep perspective. No question you can find examples of untrustworthy people, broken promises, and trust-busting actions, but perspective helps.

In a school system with nearly 48,000 students and a student-teacher ratio of 1:23, there are at least 2,100 teachers in Atlanta, and most are trustworthy. Don’t extrapolate what you read or hear to your workplace or community.

Check the mirror. When we denounce looters, but help ourselves to employer office supplies, we share in the accountability of dishonesty. When we buy a child’s ticket at a theme park when our child is past the age restriction, we model to our children it’s okay to “lie a little,” and we share in the accountability when they grow up and they do. But when our word or our handshake is as good as a contract with those we give it to, we share in the benefits of replenished trust.

Build a pocket of excellence. People work for people, not for companies. Forget the headlines. No one needs permission to create his or her own pocket of excellence founded on trusting relationships. Build trust in this skeptical era and improve your trust building odds through communication effectiveness.
You may not be able to change your boss’s behavior or the bosses above her, but you can influence the environment of those you work with and those who work for you.

As management guru, Peter Drucker so aptly reminded, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” Want better headlines? Want to replenish the trust deficit? Start with what you can do.