A lack of trust is your BIGGEST expense – David Horsager

MBS had the privilege of hearing David Horsager, CEO of the Trust Edge Leadership Institute, speak at MAPP’s Annual Benchmarking and Best Practices Conference two weeks ago. Mr. Horsager touched on a multitude of topics all centered around trust. A statement that came up multiple times was, “A lack of trust is your BIGGEST expense.” How often has your boss asked you to do a project ‘when you get a chance,’ or ‘when you have time’ only to come to you two days later and ask if that project is done yet because he needs it by the end of the week?

If he had worded this request in a different way, like, “John, I need this project completed by Friday. Are you capable of completing it by that deadline with your current workload?” Would that have created more trust? Which way gets the boss what he needs and shows clarity? If you don’t trust your boss to be clear and concise about what he or she wants from you, how can you be sure that you are providing him with what he is looking for? And furthermore, if you aren’t clear and concise with him, how can you be sure that you will get what you want from this partnership?

Studies show that when the level of trust increases in an organization so does the company’s output, morale, retention, productivity, innovation, loyalty, and revenue. With all of those metrics increasing, can we really afford to have a lack of trust in our organizations?

Trust can trickle down to your job search too. The more “fluff” words you use to describe yourself and your abilities on your resume, the less trust the reader has that you are telling the truth. Learn to write your objectives as clearly and concisely as possible. This will go a long way in gaining the trust of your readers.

Most people don’t put much thought into the word “trust” when it comes to the workplace, but if you really think about it, trust is the backbone to how people do business. Who wants to work for someone they don’t trust? I know I don’t.

To find out more about the Trust Edge Leadership Institute or to order David Horsager’s book, The Trust Edge go to www.TrustEdge.com