My world is one of organizational trouble and troubled leadership. One of the serious collateral damages to trouble is trust loss in leadership. Remembering my definition of trust being the absence of fear, when trust is gone or severely damaged, it is replaced by fear, uncertainty and doubt. There is a strategy for sustaining trust which is sensible, constructive, purposeful and effective, but requires the systematic participation and example through communication behavior by leadership:

1. Provide advance information: This is the fundamental building block of trust. Who trusts someone who gives us key information after we needed it?

2. Ask for input: Troubled leadership often has so much on their plate they resist seeking other views, especially internally. Ask for input, rebuild trust in return.

3. Relentlessly answer questions: Answering questions is the first requirement of leadership integrity. Answering questions is the most powerful tool leadership has to build trust. Questions answered settle people down. Questions answered help people refocus on what’s important.

4. Really listen: Demonstrate that you have heard. Change something meaningful meaningfully.

5. Stay in touch: Most problem remediation strategies emphasize forgetting. Rebuilding trust requires that we remember.

6. Speak their language: Tell stories that illustrate the behaviors expected of everyone including leadership.

7. Bring them into the decision-making process: Especially the victimized or otherwise harmed. These people need a platform to talk about their pain and suffering and who caused it. The result is trust or neutrality rather than anger and contention.

James E. Lukaszewski, ABC, Fellow IABC; APR, Fellow PRSA, BEPS Emeritus

If you have questions, or would like to dive more deeply into the subject of this blog, you can reach me 24/7 at jel@e911.com; 203-948-7029 (voicemail, email, text). I look forward, as a friend and colleague, to helping you achieve the objectives you’ve set for yourself for having a happier, more influential, successful and meaningful career.

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