Adam Kirk Smith

- A. Smith Blog - Leadership in Life

losing trust

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What Happens When Your Relationship Lacks Trust – Jackie Bledsoe

 

Communication and trust are two things your relationship needs to build a great foundation. When you build foundations with communication and trust, you give your relationship a great opportunity to last and thrive. Without them, there is no foundation, and we all know what happens when something is built on a faulty foundation.

 

Quarrel between men and women
Photo Credit: Tracey Chandler via Compfight cc

 

I stumbled across the video below that puts a funny twist on what happens when your relationship lacks trust. It is a great way to start your week with a laugh, while showing you the importance of trust in your relationship.

How can you build trust in your relationship? Please share in the comment section below.

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3 Things You Must Do to Avoid Losing Trust

losing trust

 

You now know that as leaders, we can very easily end up subcosciously insulting our team. But what do you do when this happens?

The choices you make and the actions you take following the insult can affect the impact you have and the impression you will leave for any future interaction with your team.

In honor of complete and total transparency, I have not always been the charming lad I am today. There have been times when I consciously insulted my team or a member of my team. Incidentally, insulting a single member of the team is suspiciously just like insulting the whole team.

Then, there are those times when I have subconsciously insulted my team. There is that time I got enthusiastic about launching a new creative idea, spread the word, garnered help and attention, then lost all momentum and quit thinking about it, leaving everyone hanging. Or how about the time I said I would help, then failed to actually show up.

It is the wrong way to lead and it only takes a little more intentionality on the part of the leader to make an attempt to ensure this does not happen.

3 Things You Must Do to Avoid Losing Trust

1.  Realize it

You have to act quick. Once you have made an insult, whether intentional or not, the team knows about it long before you will realize it. As leaders we should always be analyzing ourselves and asking for feedback. Asking for feedback may sound like a weak thing to do, but the exact opposite is true. The clock is ticking and every moment that passes is a negative tick on the trust radar.

2.  Own it

Once you have realized that you made a mistake, own up to it. If you did not realize your mistake through feedback from the team, let them know that you realized you have done wrong and take possession of that mistake. This can and will be a very humbling experience, especially if you are not known for doing so. It will pay huge dividends in the long run, so just do it.

3. Take action towards making amends

Remember that the fluid in the trust tank is leaking, and the longer you wait, the closer you are getting to “E” with your team. You have to take immediate action to remedy the situation and right your wrongs. You have to put an offer on the table and show your team once again that you are on their side. Give them the opportunity to see that you really do care and want to make sure they are treated with respect.

The trust you earn and the respect you give are the biggest guns in your arsenal. Don’t let time take these important tools away from you. The actions you take and the promptness of those actions will determine the cohesiveness you hold with the team from that moment on.

What are you going to do to secure trust with your team?