Building Trust In The Workplace

Now more than ever trust is a critical component to the success and performance of leaders and of a business.  It would seem that to some businesses Ethics, Values and Trust are cheap dispensable commodities to be put aside if it will sell a few more widgets, newspapers, or get them closer to a large shareholder dividend.

Then again I know from conversations with my clients and their staff the importance and value of building ethical trustworthy relationships as a route to sustained business growth.  They’re not resting on their laurels here either and the results are speaking for themselves.

Last year I did a trust masterclass with Sue Swanborough HR Director for General Mills UK & Ireland.  The feedback was fantastic and this year we’re doing it again. However in this masterclass we’re notching it up a few gears.  Last year our masterclass was packed with the basics, this year we’re doing an advanced version.  Both Sue and I will be sharing our experience, key learnings, and the things that make the difference in the practical world of business.

On this tele conference call we’ll be discussing amongst other things:-

* Why trust is an inside job first and foremost

* Authenticity in leadership and it’s impact on trust

* Common behaviours that undermine trust and credibility, yet are often seen as acceptable in the workplace.

* Plus we’ll open the lines so you can ask your questions direct, as well as giving you the opportunity to send in your questions beforehand.

Remember high trust organisations out perform low trust ones by 278%.   Not only that customers aren’t making purchase decisions based on price alone, trust and credibility are primary influences and fundamental to building brand loyalty.

To get all the details and secure your place on this complimentary master class click here.

Take Responsibility – If You Won’t Own It Why Should Anyone Else?

If at the end of every day you had to sign your name against what you’ve done.  The conversations you had with staff, customers, suppliers.  The decisions you’ve made.  The products and services you’ve shipped out the door.  If you had to put your name against it to take full responsibility would you?

Quality, standards, ethics, values, trust are all key facets of business but to what extent do you pay them lip service rather than live by them?  How often to these aspects seem to be at odds with making a profit?

How often is there a decision to be made which if you follow your values will take you down one route but if you sell out on your values (yes that’s what you’re doing) will take you down another, often appearing more profitable?  It’s hard at times, and usually these times are at the beginning of practicing this habit.  It’s harder to stay with your values and keep looking for a solution that will deliver profitability to the business, than it is to go with the obvious profitable solution that asks you to ignore a value or two.  However as it becomes clear both to yourself and to others that compromising on values isn’t an option then finding profitable and ethical solutions becomes easier.

Organisations have values they claim to live by.  It’s the leaders that are then beholden to live by them.  It’s not that organisations are ethical, or unethical, it’s that the people within choose to act ethically or not.  Makes your bum cheeks squeak a bit when you think of it like that.  It takes the anonymity out of it and brings it back where it needs to be, personal.  As a leader you have to walk the talk – well OK you don’t have to, but then of course if you don’t you’ve said it doesn’t matter to the rest of your staff.

The tide is turning on tolerating unethical behaviour.  Yes we’re accountable to investors to make a good ROI, yet if we cut corners and compromise on quality, standards and ethics, we run the risk of being found out, and then been called to account.  We only need to look at the News of The World to get a timely reminder of where our daily actions and choices can lead us.

So is there anything today you’d hesitate to put your name to?  There is still time to change all that.

Corporate Culture – Less talk, more action

Corporate culture and it’s effect on performance is a rising issue.  However it can be overwhelming and sometimes it helps to look around to see what others have done.  Have they moved from talking about it, and acting all cool and trendy to actually doing something and getting their hands dirty?  Every once in a while I get a bit annoyed by those who just want to talk.  Values blah blah… culture blah blah.  And should you ask them about their leadership in all of this – well – can I not see I’m in the presence of perfection.  Err no, but I’ve certainly met your ego.  What I can tell at that point is, I’m not in the presence of a new client.  One of the things our clients have in common is a strong desire to actually do something and an awareness that no matter how good they are as a leader ( and they are), they know it’s not enough, they want to be a great leader.  Then of course they know that it’s a continual journey.  They are the lid on the performance of the unit/team/section/business.

So if you’re wondering what to do about the impact your current culture is having on the performance of your business you could drop us a line and we can suggest some specific sources that will help you.

Alternatively here is a presentation from Netflix.  OK it’s 128 slides long, but if you’re interested in the what and some how around others companies embracing and working with their culture and values, then get clicking, it’s worth it.

Continuous Learning & Leadership

A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to be.

Rosalynn Carter

Our life is a learning process. Learning does not come to an abrupt halt after the completion of school or college, but it continues throughout our lives.  Leadership should provide everybody the scope to learn. Most of the time, staff are worried to reinvent or innovate themselves as they are afraid of the fact that they might make mistakes in the process and it will not be appreciated by their leaders.  The leaders on the other hand, should not criticize the workers for their mistakes but use this person’s willingness to continuously improve.  Constructive feedback done well points out the areas where further improvement can be made but doesn’t have any negative impact on the morale of the worker.

A good leader is conscious about all the quintessential ingredients which make a great leader.  This means they invest not only in the development of their staff but also themselves.  This allows the leader to provide proper guidance at every stage to all employees so that they do not lose their focus or direction.  Leadership isn’t just about striving for the growth of the organization but it also exerts equal preference for the growth of people.  It doesn’t have to be training courses, in somecases an active mentoring or coaching role (yes they are different) can provide the framework for the growth and development required.

If your staff are not asking for development then look to the culture of your organisation.  Is continous learning and improvement important?  Perhaps it’s important to the product or service you provide but you’ve never made the link to staff development explicit.  Where do you and your employees need to be in order for your business to grow and thrive?  And if growth is a stretch then where do you need to be in order to handle the uncertain business market?

Building Trust in the Workplace – Authentic Leadership Master Class

Trust is a critical component to the success and performance of leaders and of a business.

There is a very simple equation:-

High Trust = High Speed + Low Cost

Low Trust = Slow Speed + High Costs

Look at the performance of your business, team, a specific relationship. Do things happen quickly or is everyone second guessing, double checking, re-doing and in the worst case preparing to cover and protect themselves should something go wrong?

Trust is a multiplier effect.  High trust people get the significant projects; you wouldn’t leave your child with someone you didn’t trust and a business makes no different decisions.

• High trust people get promoted and receive more of the company’s resources.
• Collaboration, engagement, innovation, job fulfilment all increase when there is trust.
• The ability to attract and retain talent increases where there is trust.
• Revenue, customer loyalty and referrals also increase if there is trust.

In fact research shows that high trust organisations out perform low trust ones by 278%

On April 15th at 4pm I’ll be interviewing Sue Swanborough, HR Director at General Mills UK, a company that yearly features in the Fortune Top 100 companies to work for.  Sue is an expert in trust and its impact and application throughout the business, from board level to shop floor.  The results of this have been evident in the business results achieved.

In the past Sue, a science graduate has worked in a number of fmcg businesses including Boots, Mars and most recently General Mills. She has moved cross functionally through R&D, supply chain, logistics and manufacturing before joining HR. She has held a number of generalist and specialist roles covering the full spectrum of HR. Her passion and expertise lies in cultural and leadership development through building trust to deliver excellent business results.

On this 75 minute tele conference call we’ll be discussing:-

• The impact trust has on the performance of a business
• What leaders need to pay attention to
• The top 3 mistakes leaders make and how this endangers the levels of trust they have
• Key strategies to build trust – whatever the size of your business
• Plus we’ll open the lines so you can ask your questions direct, as well as giving you the opportunity to send in your questions beforehand.

To secure your place and get a hard copy of the call, including transcript, follow this link – building trust

Authentic Success Club – Silver Membership

We want to take this opportunity to introduce you to the Authentic Success Club™, designed to propel your leadership and your life to a whole new level.  From gems of knowledge to exclusive networking opportunities, from continuous learning and application in the real world, this is about being uniquely you, shining bright, thinking big, and settling for nothing less than what you deserve – which of course is the very best.

The Authentic Success Club™ has been designed for leaders with a desire to reach their full potential and leave a welcome legacy in their chosen field of business.

Who you are, what you stand for and how you make people feel, are just as important as the thing you sell.  As a leader when you walk into the room what do you bring with you – and when you leave what do you leave behind?

Introducing The Silver Tier Of The Authentic Success Club – Delivering Pragmatic And Powerful Information And Strategies To Help You Take Your Authentic Leadership To The Next Level

Are you a leader who is ready to step things up to the next level? Are you ready to make 2010 your best year ever? Would you like to learn proven strategies from a proven entrepreneurial leader? Have you wanted to be a part of a powerful, ongoing business program… but you’re on a tight budget?

Well that’s why Ruth is offering the Silver tier of her Authentic Success Club.

Ruth designed the Authentic Success Club based on her experiences in personally working with hundreds of leaders as well as her experiences in working with her own mentors and coaches. She wanted a club with scalable levels of support and mentoring — with options for all leaders whatever their level in the organisation.

Silver is ideal for junior to middle leaders or small business owners who are ready to take their career and business to the next level — at very little cost!

Register for the first quarter (which begins in February), where Ruth will guide you through the seminal text Think and Grow Rich.  Plus you’ll get ring side access to the Master Class on Building Trust in the workplace, with Sue Swanborough, HR Director for General Mills UK.

This club is packed with value – here are the exact details of what you get, including a one off bonus but you need to act before the 28th January to get it.

Is trust in your facial features?

Came across this interesting article in the Boston Globe where psychologists from Princeton found that certain face shapes / features are interpreted as more trustworthy than others.  So just by looking at someone we make unconscious decisions as to whether to trust them or not.