“We are what we repeatedly do.” Aristotle, ancient Greek philosopher and scientist
Welcome back to our adventure in discovering the proven ways we can build trust.
As I’ve shared earlier, trust is a natural outgrowth of countless actions, words, thoughts and intentions. We have to be willing to take action on a daily basis to earn trust. Over the past three articles, I’ve touched on six of the Eight Pillars of Trust, from David Horsager’s book, “The Trust Edge.” The last two pillars provide a great deal for all of us to contemplate.
PILLAR #7: CONTRIBUTION
To put it simply, you’ve got to DO something to build trust! Taking action leads to results.
Contribution involves taking action. If you’re like me, you may worry over making an action “perfect.” But then what happens? We can get stopped in our tracks. How can we ever make something perfect?
As small-business expert, Mark LeBlanc says, “Done is better than perfect.” For a business to deliver results, they need to motivate their people, create policies that promote completing tasks, and reward results by recognizing employees. Here are a few tips…
Key Strategies To Become A Daily Contributor
- Plan tomorrow today!
- Deliver with DMA’s (Difference-Making Actions – more on that!)
- Keep a clear desk – Leads to a clear mind – which results in high productivity.
- Email efficiency – Limit your email checking to specific times during the day.
- Practice a power hour – Take a quiet hour each morning – no interruptions. Focus on the activities you’ve identified for your greatest impact.
Horsager recommends taking the last fifteen minutes of a workday to plan and prioritize activities for the next day. Then, you not only remember the most important tasks, but you’re ready for success.
DMA’s (Difference-Making Actions) provide even more focus to our day. It’s a strategy of choosing the five most important items on our “to-do” list each day. Check out how DMA works…
The DMA Strategy (Difference-Making Actions)
- At the start of your morning, take out a sticky note.
- Write your most important goal.
- Then write the numbers 1-5 down the paper.
- Next to the 1, write the most important thing you could do today to reach that goal.
- Then write the next most important things under 2,3, 4, and 5.
“Every minute you spend planning saves you an average of approximately 10 minutes in execution.” Brian Tracy.
PILLAR #8: CONSISTENCY
Without consistency, none of the other pillars will matter.
“The fastest way to build a brand is consistency of message and product,” says Horsager. “When we can count on people to deliver what they say, every single time, they become indispensable.”
Consistency is like a savings account. You put a small amount in each day, and over time, it pays you back in safety and security. But if you spend it all in one week, you’re starting at the beginning. Like your savings account, trust is built over time.
Being consistent also means staying true to your word. Don’t agree to something that can’t be delivered. (A great example of a most trustworthy company is FedEx – with their promise of “Overnight delivery – guaranteed!” Their consistency helped them grow into a global empire, spanning 220 countries and territories, and handling more than 3 million packages each day!)
Imagine that trust is like oxygen in our air. We don’t think about it constantly, but it plays a vital role. With every interaction we take, trust increases or decreases. Ultimately, people are judging us not by our words, but by our actions. To build trust, we often rely on references and reviews. What people say about us matters.
We are each the total of our collective actions and decisions. Horsager emphasizes: “it’s the little things done consistently that sharpen the trust edge.”
Indeed, I think the time has never been more urgent than for us to be as trustworthy as possible. In our world, the foundation of trust seems to be at an all-time low. The public is uncertain who to believe anymore. As we lead by example in being trustworthy, I believe we can inspire others to follow the same actions.
My advice?
Follow the Eight Pillars of Trust. You’ll gain a competitive edge. Acquire a mass following. And live a happier and more fulfilled life.
Trust is THE currency of business and life today!
