Trust is foundational in every relationship, team and culture. What situational factors are at play when we make the decision to trust (or not)?
SHOW NOTES
Jason introduces Season 8 episode 8 of the podcast, The Decision to Trust. Welcome back to the podcast on corporate culture and leadership and thank you for listening. We engage thought leaders like CEOs, CFOs, managers, VPs, directors, and more for this podcast. We wish to create content that engages your mind and heart and allows you to step back and think and add some positivity to your life. We deep dive into today’s topic.
We can’t control everything but what we can control is our response. Still a lot of work to do but wanted to remind the audience what is within our control is the temperature we create in the organizations and teams we work with.
Please leave a review for the podcast It really helps the podcast to spread these messages out into the world. Please share this podcast with your organization, on your team, or in your life to help spread these messages. Thank you!
If any of these topics are interesting to you please or you want a deep dive on any specific topics, please reach out to us at info@jasonvbarger.com
“The decision to trust is the choice to enter into that journey with someone else.”
To help with this episode we recommend you listen to a previous episode: Why Trusting the Process is So Hard
The Thermostat Podcast – Season 8 Episode 8: The Decision to Trust
Summary
Trust is essential but often lacking in modern workplaces. This episode of The Thermostat Podcast delves into why we struggle with trust and how leaders can take charge in building trusting environments. The podcast reminds us that trust begins with a conscious decision, a choice to be vulnerable and initiate a relationship. Factors such as feeling secure, finding similarities, aligning interests, believing in someone’s capabilities, and experiencing open communication all impact our choices around trust.
Absolutely! Here’s a deeper dive into the key factors of “being capable” and “communication” and their role in building trust:
Being Capable (Competence)
- Knowledge and Skills: We naturally trust people who demonstrate the necessary knowledge and expertise to accomplish tasks or fulfill promises. This might involve technical skills, specific job-related abilities, or problem-solving skills.
- Track Record: Trust in capability grows with a proven track record of success. Someone who consistently delivers on time, produces high-quality work, and meets expectations reinforces their trustworthiness.
- Adaptability: Being capable also means demonstrating adaptability in the face of changing circumstances. If a person can handle unexpected twists and turns without faltering, we are more likely to trust their ability to manage situations proactively.
Communication
- Openness & Transparency: Honest and transparent communication builds a foundation for trust. Sharing information openly, even when it might be difficult, demonstrates integrity and builds confidence.
- Active Listening: People feel valued and respected when they’re actively heard. Truly listening to concerns, questions, and ideas fosters the sense that their contributions are trusted and important.
- Clarity & Consistency: Clear, consistent communication reduces uncertainty and misinterpretation. When messages are straightforward and align with actions, we feel confident that we understand the intentions and expectations involved.
- Timeliness: Timely communication demonstrates respect for others’ time and effort. Promptly responding to questions, concerns, and offers of help indicates that a person is reliable and values the relationship.
How Capability & Communication Intersect
Being capable and having strong communication skills go hand-in-hand. For example:
- A capable leader who cannot communicate effectively may struggle to create clarity and alignment within a team.
- An expert with excellent communication skills, but who lacks follow-through on promises will ultimately erode trust.
Trust flourishes when capability and communication are both present. It allows for the confidence that someone has both the ability to deliver AND will do so in a way that is open, honest, and respectful.
Themes
- The Critical Role of Trust: Trust sits at the heart of healthy teams, leadership, and organizational cultures. The episode challenges listeners to think about the low levels of trust present in many workplaces, highlighting the opportunity for leaders to differentiate themselves by building trust.
- Trust as an Active Choice: Trust isn’t automatic; it’s a conscious choice we make. Starting the journey of building trust requires a willingness to extend ourselves and be open within our teams.
- Situational Factors in Trust: Our decision to trust is influenced by factors like security, similarity, aligned interests, capability, and open communication.
Notable Timestamps
- 00:00:00 – Introduction to the importance of trust.
- 00:04:35 – Gallup statistics on lack of trust in leadership.
- 00:08:00 – Reference to previous episode “Why is Trusting the Process so Hard?”
- 00:12:18 – The decision to trust as the beginning of a journey
- 00:14:15 – Discussion of situational factors influencing trust decisions.
- 00:18:57 – Capability as a key factor in building trust.
Pull Quotes
- “Only 23% of employees said they trust the leadership and the future direction that their organization is heading.”
- “Trust is not automatic…we don’t just hand out trust on the regular.”
- “The decision to trust is the choice to enter into that journey with someone else.”
- “We know we might naturally gravitate towards those similarities, but we also need differences and want diversity.”
Questions to Ponder
- When deciding to trust someone, which situational factors (security, similarities, alignment of interests, capability, level of communication) are most important to you?
- Is there someone on your team that you haven’t yet fully chosen to trust? If so, what’s getting in the way of building that trust?
Upcoming episodes will focus on where Trust Wobbles. Stay Tuned!
Please leave a review for the podcast It really helps the podcast to spread these messages out into the world. Please share this podcast with your organization, on your team, or in your life to help spread these messages. Thank you!
If any of these topics are interesting to you please or you want a deep dive on any specific topics, please reach out to us at info@jasonvbarger.com
Listen to more great episodes here
Remember, the best leaders, teams, & cultures stimulate progress by recalibrating their thermostat together.
If you like the podcast, have a question, or just want to share your thoughts about daring to begin please leave a comment below or please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts.
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ABOUT THE THERMOSTAT
Conversations and micro-thoughts to engage your mind and heart.
A thermostat is proactive. It sets the temperature in a room. Controls the temperature. Regulates the temperature. But in today’s distracted, fast-paced and digital world, it’s easy for individuals and organizations to act more like thermometers, slipping into reactionary thinking, becoming scattered and inconsistent. The most compelling leaders, teams, organizations, families, or collection of humans of any kind operate in thermostat mode. They calibrate their mind and heart to set the temperature for the vision and culture they want to create. Jason Barger, globally celebrated author, keynote speaker, and founder of Step Back Leadership Consulting, is the host of The Thermostat, a podcast journey to discover authentic leadership, create compelling cultures and find clarity of mission, vision, and values.