Summary: David is inspired after meeting Steven M R Covey and discussing his Bestselling book ‘The Speed of Trust” to share the 13 principles. Listen in and enjoy as he add his own ‘Kickass’ spin to the habits and how they can affect us in our personal and professional life. David also shares a recent TED talk (See Link below) on the subject of being trustworthy. The Band today is COLDPLAY (See Links Below) Quote if the Day: "A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes." Book: The Speed of Trust by Steven M. R. Covey 1. Talk Straight Say what is on your mind. Don’t hide your agenda. When we talk straight we tell the truth and leave the right impression. Most employees don't think their bosses communicate honestly. This creates a trust tax. This causes speed to go down and costs to go up. We spend entirely too much time trying to decipher truth from spin. Straight talk needs to be paired with tact. There is no excuse for being so blunt you hurt feelings and destroy relationships. Tact is a skill that can be learned and when coupled with straight talk, will build relationship trust. 2. Demonstrate Respect The principle behind demonstrating respect is the value of the individual. The behavior is acting out the Golden Rule. Almost every culture and religion recognizes the value of the Golden Rule. We should treat people the way we want to be treated. Our actions should show we care. They should be sincere. People will notice if an action is motivated by a lesser reason or an impure value. Respect is demonstrated in the “little” things we do daily. 3. Create Transparency Tell the truth in a way that can be verified. Transparency is based on principles of honesty, openness, integrity and authenticity. It is based on doing things in the open where all can see. Part of transparency is sharing information. If ever in question, err on the side of disclosure. Rollin King, founder of Southwest Airlines states, “We adopted the philosophy that we wouldn’t hide anything, not any of our problems, from the employees.” That’s transparency. 4. Right Wrongs To right a wrong is much more than apologizing. It involves making restitution. With customers it may include that free gift along with the sincere apology. We have all been to a restaurant where we received an apology along with a free dessert or a coupon for something free the next time we eat there. It is the principle of going the extra mile. Some will justify their wrongful behavior while others will try covering up their misdeeds. Both of these attempts will not only fail to make deposits in trust ac- counts, but are certain to make substantial withdrawals. 5. Show Loyalty There are many ways to show loyalty to your employees. Covey focuses on two. First, give credit to others. As a leader you need to give credit to the individuals responsible for success. A leader should never take credit for the hard work of others. Just as bad is the one who gives credit to someone in their presence, but then down-plays their contribution to others. Giving credit to others is the right thing to do. It will foster an environment where people are encouraged to be creative and innovative. It will increase trust and have a direct impact on the bottom line. Second, speak about others as if they were present. Some people think it builds relationships to talk about others. The opposite is true. Talking about others behind their back will decrease trust with your current audience. 6. Deliver Results The fastest way to build trust with a client is to deliver results. Results give you instant credibility and trust. Delivering results is based on competence. “This behavior grows out of the principles of responsibility, accountability and performance. The opposite of Deliver Results is performing poorly or failing to deliver. The counterfeit is delivering activities instead of results.
