Create a Trusting Environment

...become a cohesive team, working toward the vision for the benefit of all

A work environment based on trust allows the individuals of a group to become a cohesive team, working toward the vision for the benefit of all. To achieve this kind of environment,

• Treat everyone, at every level of the hierarchy, with respect and consideration.
• Give everyone's ideas serious consideration.
• Be fair, kind, and courteous at all times.
• Never put other people down.
• Be honest. Admit it when you make a mistake or when you don't have the answer.
• Protect your group. Define a boundary around your group and shelter them from interference. Got to bat for your team to get the resources you need. Show courage in sticking up for your people.
• Do not tolerate scapegoating or misapplied blame.
• Use every reasonable opportunity to foster others professional growth.

ACTION POINT: Create an environment of trust for your organization.

Demonstrating your Expertise II

To build or strengthen your expertise, consider the following guidelines:


Master the terminology. Demonstrate that you know the verbal shorthand used by the people in your5 audience. During meetings, industry conferences, and other business gatherings, listen closely for buzzwords. Make sure you understand their meaning—and use them appropriately in your business communications.


Don’t hide your credentials. If appropriate, let people know about any advanced degrees you’ve earned. For example, a personal trainer who is launching a line of nutritional supplements would want to advertise her degree in nutrition along with her credentials as a licensed physical therapist. Note, though, that in some organizations, publicizing academic credentials is considered bad form. Doing so might hurt your credibility if your colleagues firmly believe that it’s a person’s ideas that count, and not her degrees. If this describes your company’s culture, think of all your relevant experience and knowledge that inform and support your idea. Then relate that experience and knowledge at appropriate opportunities to those with any influence or stake in your proposal.


Hire independent authorities. Retain the services of an industry consultant or recognized outside expert to advocate your position. The authority’s credibility will augment your own.


Gather endorsements. Publicize accolades you’ve won for work related to your proposal, such as e-mails or letters of praise from satisfied customers, superiors, and peers. Be diplomatic in your self-promotion to avoid appearing arrogant or boastful and thus undermining support.


ACTION POINT: By establishing your trustworthiness and expertise, you build the credibility you need to get your audience’s attention and interest.

Demonstrating your Expertise

You also demonstrate expertise by accumulating a history of successes.

Like trust, expertise enables you to build credibility. People see you as having expertise when you exercise sound judgment that proves you’re knowledgeable about your ideas. You also demonstrate expertise by accumulating a history of successes.

To build or strengthen your expertise, consider the following guidelines:

Research your ideas. Find out everything you can about the ideas you are proposing—by talking with knowledgeable individuals, reading relevant sources, and so on. Collect pertinent data and information to support and contradict your idea so that you are well versed on your idea’s strengths and weaknesses.

Get firsthand experience. Ask to be assigned to a team that will provide new insights into particular markets or products.

Cite trusted sources. Back your position with knowledge gained from respected business or trade periodicals, books, independently produced reports, lectures, and experts within or outside your organization.

Prove it. Launch small pilot projects to demonstrate that your ideas deserve serious consideration. For example, if you’re advocating a new customer-service process for your department, conduct a limited experiment with the process to generate firsthand information about its benefits.

ACTION POINT: Use research, first hand experience and trusted sources to prove your ideas and to accumulate a history of successes.

Winning others Trust II

How do you earn others’ trust? Here are several ways:

Be sincere. Demonstrate your conviction that your idea is worth other’s time and attention. When people see you a sincere and committed, they will more likely trust you.

Build a track record of trustworthiness. Follow through on the promises and commitments you’ve made. Share or give credit to those who contribute good ideas. Present consistent values. By behaving in a trustworthy manner, you earn a reputation for being trustworthy.

Encourage the exploration of ideas. To encourage dialogue and demonstrate your openness to others’ perspectives, listen to their concerns. Establish an environment where all your colleagues can share their ideas and know that their opinions are valued.

Put other’s best interests first. When people believe that you have their interests in mind, they tend to trust you and your ideas. For instance, suppose a marketing director helps a valued subordinate get promoted to a different department. Although the marketing director knows it’s difficult to lose a top-notch team member, she accepts that her job includes helping others develop their professional skills. In addition to helping her subordinate, th marketing director ears the trust of her subordinate and the other department head—trust that may come in handy in the future.

Use candor. When you own up to your flaws, people see you as a truthful person—on the assumption that most individuals try to conceal their faults. Thus, an honest acknowledgement of any weaknesses in your proposal can help build trust with your audience.

ACTION POINT: Build a track record of trustworthiness through candor, by putting their interests first, being open to their ideas with sincerity.

Winning others Trust

They know that you have their best interests at heart.

When you fail to earn trust, listeners discount most—if not all—of what you say. By contrast, when people trust you and your ideas, they tend to see you as believable, well informed, and sincere. They know that you have their best interests at heart.

They also view you as possessing a strong emotional character (steady temperament) and integrity (honesty and reliability). Those qualities reinforce your appeal and that in turn makes people more inclined to accept your ideas.

ACTION POINT: Consider the interests of others ahead of your own to win their trust.