We all have things we hope to receive. Things we hope for. And,we all have things we have to give. Things we can use to support and help others.
Trust is built through that reciprocity.
You’re familiar with WIIFM. What’s in it for me? My needs. My goals. My aspirations. What happens when people inadvertently get caught up in a me, me, me, orientation? Trust gets out of balance. Paying equal attention to what you have to give as to what you hope to receive puts the relationship back in balance.
You don’t want to be viewed as self-absorbed. Or, as only caring about the health and well-being of the business. Of course the business has objectives and needs. But, people won’t care about those needs until they know they are cared about, as people.
As Theodore Roosevelt said, People don’t care how much you know until they knowhow much you care.
Let people know you care.
Pay as much attention to supporting others as to asking for support. It will pay off for you.
Take the leader of the manufacturing plant who took steps to let his people know he valued them as much as the numbers. Once people understood they weren’t just cogs in a wheel to him, they stepped up. Re-engaged. Took production to the next level, then the next. In short order, the leader and his team moved their plant from lowest to highest producer in the country a feat unmatched before or since in the company’s 150 year history.
That’s the power of building trust through letting people know you value them.
Trust Tip:
- Get interested in what the other person needs. Their interests. Their goals.Where they need the most support.
- Keep trust in balance. Give as much as you receive.