Training Industry Quarterly - Summer 2013 - (Page 11)

LEADERSHIP 2.0 | KEN BLANCHARD AND SCOTT BLANCHARD BUILDING TRUST IS A DEFINING COMPETENCY FOR LEADERS DEALING WITH TRUST ISSUES People won’t go out on a limb for you unless they know it’s not going to be cut off. That requires trust, something that’s in short supply in many organizations. Because of low trust, in too many organizations innovation is stifled, collaboration is strained, and self-interest rules the day. It doesn’t take long for these companies to become stuck in the status quo, unable to take even the smallest risks. And, unless they are in heavily regulated environments with little or no competition, these companies will miss out on opportunities and see their market share decrease. Addressing trust issues in an organization can be challenging at best. That’s the experience our friend, Cynthia Olmstead, ran into as she worked with organizations on change initiatives. Trust is hard to define. People know what it feels like when trust doesn’t exist, but describing what trust is and what creates it can be a challenge. That’s what led Cynthia on a six-year exploration to find out what behaviors people most identified with trust. After countless discussions, Cynthia identified four key attributes of trust that she outlined in a new book, “Trust Works! Four Keys to Building Trusting Relationships.” These were the four behaviors that when present, built trust among people, and when absent (even just one) eroded people’s trust: • Able: Demonstrate competence with your ability to solve problems, get results and strive to be the best at what you do. • Believable: Act with integrity. Beyond being honest and sincere, this includes showing respect for others, keeping confidences, and admitting your mistakes. • Connected: Care about others. This includes showing interest in others, asking for input and listening, as well as showing empathy and praising the efforts of others. • Dependable: Maintain reliability by being organized, timely and responsive to requests, as well as being accountable and consistently following up. TRUST AS A DEFINING COMPETENCY The ability to build trust is a defining competency for leaders in a world where people are being asked to stretch, do more, risk more and achieve more. How would you assess your trustworthiness in the four key areas above? If you’re brave, ask your colleagues and direct reports to evaluate you as well. Getting feedback on your trustworthiness can be an eye-opener for many leaders. This was true for Ken, who asked his executive team to rate him in all four areas. Ken was surprised to find out that while he scored well in being able, believable and connected, he didn’t score as high as he would have hoped on being dependable. It’s not an unusual situation. Leaders are often unaware of the impact of their behavior and how it may be perceived by others. Direct reports often accept the behavior, create workarounds, and move on. But in this case, a common understanding of the ABCD Trust Model allowed Ken’s team to do something extraordinary. They were able to discuss it openly with him. Together, they discovered that the root of the problem was Ken’s tendency to overcommit. He hated to disappoint people, loved just about every new idea he heard, and was always trying to help others. His intentions were all good. But, the unfortunate result was that he ended up disappointing people when their expectations couldn’t be met. By using the ABCD Trust Model, Ken’s team was able to identify his weakness in the Dependable area, brainstorm, and create systems that would manage people’s expectations. As a result, Ken’s Dependable score soared. For organizations to thrive, trust is not a nice-to-have; it’s a must-have. And while many people assume that trust grows over time, in many cases just the opposite happens. Don’t leave trust to chance in your organization. Identify the trust issues in your organization and use the ABCD Trust Model to address them openly. Building trust is one of the most needed skills for leaders today. People will follow — but they have to trust you first. Scott Blanchard is the co-founder of Blanchard Certified. Ken Blanchard is the best-selling co-author of The One Minute Manager and 50 other books on leadership. You can follow Ken Blanchard on Twitter @KenBlanchard or @LeaderChat and also via the HowWeLead and LeaderChat blogs. Email Scott and Ken. Training Industry Quarterly, Summer 2013 / A Training Industry, Inc. magazine / www.trainingindustry.com/TIQ 11 http://www.blanchardcertified.com https://www.twitter.com/kenblanchard https://www.twitter.com/LeaderChat http://www.howwelead.org http://www.leaderchat.org http://www.trainingindustry.com/TIQ

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Training Industry Quarterly - Summer 2013

Training Industry Quarterly - Summer 2013
From Where I Sit: Talent Management: An Emerging Business Strategy
Table of Contents
Ad Index
Guest Editor: Lessons from Shakespeare
Beyond Training
Dealing with Trust Issues
Younger Boss, Older Worker
Four Skills Needed in the Future Workplace
Survive & Thrive with Performance Support
How to Optimize Behavior Change for Business Impact
Addressing the Skilled Trade Crisis
Cultural Differences in Training
Gender Communication in the Workplace
Meeting the Needs of Gen Y Learners
A Leaders 'Crashless' Course: Helping Employees Drive Career Development
DeVry: Growing Talent with Blended Learning Solutions
Live Face-to-Face Training Still Leads the Way
Tweet Suite
Company News

Training Industry Quarterly - Summer 2013