1. Building a Culture of Trust
Learnings from the APIC/SHEA Joint Leadership Training
3/22/19

2. Objectives
Identify characteristics and competencies of a trusted leader
Learn techniques for building strategic trust, organizational trust, and personal trust
Building trust is critical to your success as an IP, regardless of whether or not you hold a leadership position. As an IP we are all informal leaders and our leadership is based on influence rather than authority, this influence is a consequence of skill in collaboration, followership, program management, critical thinking skills, and communication. Building trust is a big part of this.

3. How do you define trust?
The act of placing oneself in a vulnerable position of relying on others
The willingness to put oneself at risk based on another individual’s actions
An expectation or belief that one can rely on another person’s actions and words and that the person has good intentions to carry out their promises
Accountability, risk based on another's actions or words
Competitive advantage in an organization that can’t be copied

4. We Need to Depend on Trust
In times of uncertainty: When we do not have all information about a person or situation and if we cannot completely control the outcome
When risk is involved: When we assume that the benefits will outweigh risks, but the costs of a loss will be great
Trust is a Leap of Faith
Trust is a leap of faith in times of uncertainty and risk, which is most of our job!
Competitive advantage in an organization that can’t be copied
Copyright ©2012 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

5. Which is based of off their reputation, prior experiences, and stereotypes.

6. Exercise: A Trusted Leader
Identify someone you can trust
What characteristics or behaviors does that person exhibit that makes you trust him or her?

7. 13 Behaviors of High Trust Leaders
Steven Covey
Talk straight
Demonstrate respect
Create transparency
Right wrongs
Show loyalty
Deliver results
Get better
Confront reality
Clarify expectations
Practice accountability
Listen first
Keep commitments
Extend trust

8. Trust: Characteristics and Competencies
Credibility: Your expertise, experience, way you’ve handled yourself in the past, your track record
Reliability: Being consistent and dependable, being prepared, avoiding rote phrases, having multiple solutions
Intimacy: Being intensely personal about your work—talking honestly about others’ motivations, situations, and sensitivities
Lack of self-orientation: Focus on others, be truly interested in those around you
Characteristics of trusted individuals

9. Exercise: High Trust Level
What does a working environment feel like with a HIGH level of trust?

10. Benefits of Trusted Leadership/High Trust Workplaces
Frees people
Fuels passion
Provides focus
Enables coordination and collaboration
Fosters innovation
Gives people time to get it right

11. High Trust Workplaces continued
Enables commitment in situations of high risk
Lowers costs
Is contagious
Helps recruit people on the right wavelength
Helps retain great people
Improves the quality of work

12. Exercise: Low Trust Level
What does a working environment feel like with a LOW level of trust?
What are the price tags of not having a high trust culture?

13. High Cost of Low Trust Low morale Lower productivity
Ken Blanchard, Building Trust
Low morale
Lower productivity
People ‘quit but stay’
Increased turnover

14. Types of Trust Strategic Trust: Goals & Strategies
Trust that the organization is doing the right thing
Organization Trust: Processes & Decision-making
Trust in the way things are done
Personal Trust: Trust in you and your staff
Trust in the people leading the organization
You can have this without organizational trust

16. 5 Stages of Building Personal Trust
Engaging
Listening: Be patient, ask questions, clarify
Framing: demonstrate that you understand the core of what he/she is dealing with
Envisioning: the future state, what could be
Committing: to pursue desired outcome, clear action steps
In our role, we are often attempting to lead leaders, which is hard! Building trust is one way to get leaders to follow IP and engage

17. Building Organizational Trust
Aspirations: What does your organization believe in?
Abilities: How can you execute stated aspirations?
Actions: How do you keep your actions focused on achieving aspirations?
Alignment: How can you be sure everyone is moving toward the same goals?
Articulation: How do you articulate the vision of the organization? Can others also articulate that vision?
Processes & Decision-making, the way things are done

18. Exercise: Creating a Culture of Trust
If a culture of trust is worth having, how do you go about getting one?
Creating a culture of trust is intentional

19. Key Behaviors for Trust
Closure: Complete all communications
Commitment: Avoid false commitments
Communication: Use direct and open communication
Speedy resolution: Clear up unresolved issues as soon as possible
Respect: Use tact and respect in communications
Responsibility: Own your own problems, but be willing to give and get help

20. Closure
Closure: Complete all communications—100%
Coming to a specific agreement about what will be done by whom, with a specific time for completion
Non-examples: I’ll get you that report; I’ll do what I can
Lack of closure leads to wondering
In a culture of trust, it’s OK to ask when you will get the information, report, etc.
They recommended s within 24 hours!

21. Commitment Commitment: No hidden ifs, ands, or buts
If you discover you can’t keep your commitment, speak up immediately
False commitments – nodding commitments or hallway salutes – there are still consequences for breaking them
Being late for a meeting or for work or being out of the office with no explanation is a false commitment—results in people thinking Does anybody care around here? Does anyone work as hard as I do?
Late deliverables, poor quality work, unreturned phone calls or s are false commitments
An organizational culture in which people consider their commitments carefully and in which they absolutely intend to do what they say they will do generates trust

22. Communication
Communication: Direct and open eliminates serious problems
People do not lie to each other or even suggest things that are not true; No talking behind one’s back, no withholding information, no hallway gossip, no avoiding certain topics
Include all team members in discussions – no favoritism
Make sure even the most quiet person is heard
In person is always best. Then phone. then . For meetings, always try to do in person, If unable to do so, try video conferencing t o improve engagement. People tend to multitask on phone meetings. Video increases the personal accountability to be present.
And try to include all team members and make sure the quiet folks are heard and have a chance to speak

23. Speedy Resolution
Address critical unresolved issues quickly and completely so people can gain closure and make commitments
People want quick answers regarding: Will there be layoffs? Will our department be spun off to form a separate department? Will we get a raise this year?
Unaddressed problems don’t resolve themselves
The examples here are more geared toward organizational leadership, but this concept still applies to IP. It is important to address critical unresolved issues quickly and completely so people gain closure. If we don’t resolve quickly, then people fill in the blacks, which is often harsher than reality

24. Respect
People treat one another as they would like to be treated – with dignity and respect
Don’t confuse tact and respect with being nice—doesn’t mean you sugar coat: Could we get a few moments together? sounds better than We need to talk.
When people are not treated with respect, they are likely to be less productive
If people know their ideas are respected, they will contribute and take risks
Treat one another as you want to be treated

25. Responsibility
In the end, everyone is responsible for their own problems
Being a lone ranger in an organization doesn’t work—we need to learn to ask for and receive help, as well as to give it
People get locked into codependent dysfunctional relationships – Example: One person is always 20 minutes late for a meeting, leader ignores it, eventually others start showing up later and later
Need to address these issues head-on

26. Additional key principles…
Be responsive—24-hour rule
Handle issues at the lowest possible level
Tell the truth
No surprises
Leaders must realize they are role models

27. Bottom Line: Leadership Requires Trust
The Leadership Challenge (Kouzes, 2008, p. 32), informs us that leadership requires trust:
“It's clear that if people anywhere are to willingly follow someone — whether it be into battle or into the boardroom, the front office or the front lines — they first want to assure themselves that the person is worthy of their trust.”

28. Questions?