Failure to build trust in an organization is a function of leadership communication failure about the principles, ideals and purposes of having a trustable company, trustable products and trustable people. Here is the profile of how a trust building leadership communication strategy should be structured:

1. Decision making: Deciding those things which make up the ingredients of an environment of trust – 5%.

2. Articulating those things decided in the context of trust and integrity – 40%.

3. Coaching / Teaching / Motivating: Making trust, integrity, honesty and truthfulness come alive in the organization – 40%.

4. Forecasting the future impact/benefits of being a trusted organization – 5%.

5. Reputation Repair / Empathy, Apology: These are actions that enhance, ennoble or reestablish and rebuild trust – 1%, if things are going well, maybe 100% or more if there is trouble.

6. Repeating, Reemphasizing, Reinterpreting: Develop the stories, the anecdotes, the examples and the illustrations that help people understand what trust is about, what any key idea is about for that matter – 20%.

Total = 111% *

*The math is correct because the trust building communication job of a leader is close to 24/7. Anyone who does anything on a 24/7 basis is, by definition, doing substantially more than any peer in a non-leadership position. The work of leadership is always greater than almost any other work that needs to be done in an organization.

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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