By Mary Andrews
Chief Clinic Operating Officer
There is nothing more important in our professional or personal relationships than trust. Trust is the foundation and backbone of relationships.
As a leader, I love listening to podcasts and reading leadership materials. Brené Brown and John Maxwell share a lot of great information about trust. Maxwell has a great podcast titled Trust Busters and Trust Builders. It does an excellent job outlining the core components to building and breaking trust. Brown also has a great podcast on the anatomy of trust. I wanted to share a few of the key principles from these two individuals.
Trust is a big word that encompasses a lot of different things. My goal is to unpack trust, so we better understand everything it represents.
A few of the most common trust busters in a relationship include breaking promises, talking behind people’s backs, being judgmental, and twisting the truth. We need to be careful about never promising more than we can do. Actions speak louder than words, and it is important that we do what we say and that we act with integrity. We need to be careful not to have too critical of an eye toward another person. It is important we are generous in our assumptions toward others and give them the benefit of the doubt. It is always kind to talk to a person about any issues you may have with them. It is always unkind to talk to others about that person and those issues. This is gossip and a way of hot-wiring relationships.
Finally, we need to be careful about telling little white lies. Sometimes we might say things that are not completely true in order to achieve something. These little white lies make it difficult for people to trust us. It is very hard to regain their respect and confidence once it has been forfeited. I encourage you to periodically self-examine to find out where there may be opportunities to improve in these areas.
Keeping Our Word, Speaking Truth
The most important things we can do to build trust with others is to keep our word, cultivate trust, and speak the truth.
- Keeping our word is about acting with integrity and being consistent and reliable. Brown defines integrity as choosing courage over comfort, doing what is right over what is easy, and practicing living our values over professing them.
- Trust is something built in small moments over time. It is like adding marbles one at a time to a large jar. It is about attending funerals, checking in on people who may be struggling, asking for help, and being vulnerable with others. Showing respect by listening to others and making them feel appreciated and valued is also important to building trust.
- Speaking the truth in love is a critical component of building trust as well. It is about being direct with people when there are issues, but also being nice. It is about giving constructive feedback in a caring, kind, yet firm and fair manner.
Finally, building trust is about cultivating it. It is about believing people are good and kind and about being generous with your assumptions of others.
Trust conversations and actions may not always be easy, but they are critical. I am often reminded from the Bible that for whom much is given, much is expected. This holds true for trust. I hope you find this information helpful and valuable in both your personal and professional lives. Challenge yourself and put a piece or two of this information into practice. You will be glad you did!
Mary Andrews serves as Chief Clinic Operating Officer at EngageMED, overseeing practices across Hot Springs and Central Arkansas. With over 25 years of experience and a Master’s in Health Services Administration, she specializes in value-based care and leadership development while ensuring positive patient experiences.
