Working on Your Core
Larry Van Wave, Learning & Development Sr. eLearning Developer
Who doesn’t want a stronger core? It brings balance, strength, and gives you an overall feeling of well-being. I am not talking about working on your physical core; I am referring to our company core values, but even more specifically, the core value of trust. How do we build trust and how important is trust to our company?
Trust is a key element for GCNA’s culture – so important that it is listed in our code of ethics statement: “Conduct GCNA’s business and affairs in a manner that merits the trust and support of the Public”. Trust is also mentioned in our business ethics statement: “GCNA’s reputation is a valuable asset and we must continually earn the trust, confidence, and respect of our suppliers, team members, volunteers, donors, customers, clients, and our communities”. In fact, GCNA has trust pledge posters hanging in our work areas to help remind us the value of trust in our everyday lives.
What is the value of trust? Trust forms the basis of all relationships, interactions, and social structures. David K. Williams said this about the value of trust: “It is the relationships we forge—and the trust we create—that matters most to our success at the end of the day. Thus, the focus on the Non Negotiable trait in life and in business of Trust”. (The 7 Non Negotiables of Winning, 2013)
The list below are just a few of the many benefits of an organization that values trust:
• Increased productivity
• Improved morale for team members and customers
• The ability to work more effectively as a team, rather than individuals
• Reduce the time to make and discuss key issues, as each individual trusts in the judgement and expertise of others
We know how valuable trust is, so how can we build and maintain it? It begins with actions, not just words. As a team member in this organization, you cannot just say I “trust you”; you need to show it through the actions you take on a day-to-day basis. GCNA’s trust pledge outlines some effective steps on how to build trust in the workplace, such as respecting differences in communication styles and getting to know others before drawing conclusions about them.
When trust is broken, how can you rebuilt it? Trust between team members within an organization can be lost within an instance. Rebuilding that trust is not always an easy process. This shows the value of how important it is to maintain trust with one another once you have it. If, however, you find yourself in a situation where you have lost the trust of others, the most important thing to do is take ownership of the mistake or issue. You need to explain that you understand why others have lost trust in you and acknowledge the mistake you made. After you have got past the acknowledgement phase of your mistake, you need to show how you are going to rectify the situation to ensure this will not happen again in the future. Some common ways to assist with this process are:
• Recognize the impact
• Make it my responsibility to talk with others
• Apologize for consequences
• Move forward and put closure on it
• Renew commitment to take a better path of action in the future
• Hold each other accountable
• Agree to next steps
Depending on the level of trust loss, or other underlying issues, you need to acknowledge that some may still feel angry or disappointed for a period of time. You may not be able to just apologize and get straight back to where you were before. Rushing the process will not help – give team members time, and if you are sincere in your approach, eventually you will regain their trust.
Take a moment and examine the culture of your team. If trust is lacking, start applying the steps listed in our trust pledge to allow this vital asset to improve. The foundation of trust will permeate every aspect of your team: the people, the production, and the corporate culture. So, let’s all make an effort to work on our non-negotiable core value!
