Solving Problems – In organizations of high trust, problems are dealt with easily and efficiently. In low trust organizations, problems become huge obstacles as leaders work to unscramble the mess to find out who said what or who caused the problem to spiral out of control. Often feelings are hurt or long term damage in relationships occurs. While problems exist in any environment, they take many times longer to resolve if there is low trust. That is wasted time.

Focused Energy – People in organizations with high trust do not need to be defensive. They focus energy on accomplishing the Vision and Mission of the organization. Their energy is directed toward the customer and against the competition. In low trust organizations, people waste energy due to infighting and politics. Their focus is on internal squabbles and destructive turf battles. Bad blood between people creates a litany of issues that distract supervision from the pursuit of excellence. Instead, they play referee all day.

Efficient Communication – When trust is high, the communication process is efficient as leaders freely share valuable insights about business conditions and strategy. In low trust organizations, rumors and gossip zap around the organization like laser beams in a hall of mirrors. Before long, leaders are blinded with problems coming from every direction. Trying to control the zapping information takes energy away from the mission and strategy. High trust organizations rely on solid, believable communication, while the atmosphere in low trust groups is usually one of damage control and minimizing employee unrest. Since people’s reality is what they believe rather than what is objectively happening, the need for damage control in low trust groups is often a huge burden.

Retaining Customers – Workers in high trust organizations have a passion for their work that is obvious to customers. When trust is lacking, workers often display apathy toward the company that is transparent to customers. This undermines top line growth as customers turn to more upbeat groups for their services. All it takes is the roll of eyes or some shoddy body language to send valuable customers looking for alternatives.
A “Real” Environment – People who work in high trust environments describe the atmosphere as being “real.” They are not playing games with one another in a futile attempt to outdo or embarrass the other person. Rather, they are aligned under a common goal that permeates all activities. When something is real, people know it and respond positively. When trust is high, people might not always like each other, but they have great respect for each other. That means, they work to support and reinforce the good deeds done by fellow workers rather than try to find sarcastic or belittling remarks to make about them. The reduction of infighting creates hours of extra time spent achieving business goals.

Saving Time and Reducing Costs – High trust organizations get things done more quickly because there are fewer distractions. There is no need to double check everything because people generally do things right. In areas of low trust there is a constant need to spin things to be acceptable and then to explain what the spin means. This takes time, which drives costs up.

Perfection not Required – A culture of high trust relieves leaders from the need to be perfect. Where trust is high, people will understand the intent of a communication even if the words were phrased poorly. In low trust groups, the leader must be perfect because people are poised to spring on every misstep to prove the leader is not trustworthy. Without trust, speaking to groups of people is like walking on egg shells.

More Development and Growth – In low trust organizations, people stagnate because there is little emphasis placed on growth. All of the energy is spent jousting between individuals and groups. High trust groups emphasize development, so there is a constant focus on personal and organizational growth.

Better Reinforcement – When trust is high, positive reinforcement works because it is sincere and well executed. In low trust organizations, reinforcement is often considered phony, manipulative, or duplicitous which lowers morale. Without trust, attempts to improve motivation through reinforcement programs often backfire.

A Positive Atmosphere – The atmosphere in high trust organizations is refreshing and light. People enjoy coming to work because they have fun and enjoy their coworkers. They are also more then twice as productive as their counterparts in lower trust areas. In groups with low trust, the atmosphere is oppressive. People describe their work as a hopeless string of sapping activities foisted upon them by the clueless individuals who run the place.

These are just ten contrasts describing the difference between high trust and low trust organizations. There are many more distinctions, some of them very subtle. No list of contrasts could be complete. If you have an organization where trust is low, you are operating under such a huge disadvantage to your counterpart with high trust you cannot hope to survive.

Most top leaders understand all of the above. The conundrum is, they sincerely want to build an environment of high trust, but they consistently do things that take them in the wrong direction. Many leaders end up hiring consultants to help create a better environment within their organization. This may or maynot work because the leader does not realize the problem cannot be fixed by an outsider alone. To fix the problem of low trust the leader needs to say, “The atmosphere around here stinks, and it must be my fault because I am the one in charge. How can I change my own behavior in order to turn the tide toward an environment of higher trust”? With that attitude, there is a real possibility an outside coach or consultant can help the organization. Unfortunately there are leaders who have a blind spot on their own contribution to low trust, so in those groups there is little hope of a lasting change.
________________________________________

The contractor, sorry to lose his good worker, asked the carpenter to build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end a dedicated career.

When the carpenter finished his work the employer came to inspect the house. Handing the front door key to the carpenter, he said: “This is your house,” he said, “please accept it as my gift to you.”

The carpenter was shocked! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it altogether differently.

So it is with many of us. We build our lives one day at a time, often doing just enough to get by. The day finally comes when we realize that we must live in the house that we have built and we are in shock. Sure, if we could do it all over, we’d do it much differently. But we cannot go back.

“Life is a do-it-yourself project.” You are the carpenter. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. With every obstacle you build faith. “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.”

As you condition yourself to respond, rather than react to one of life’s many situations, you will find that you have more control over the outcome whether it is in a work related crisis or a personal conflict.

This week’s Action steps to Success Plus:

• Start each day with a purpose, if you do not plan your life, your life will plan you!
• Record your values and priorities, refer to them when you feel “lost” or unsure of yourself. It helps to keep you focused.
• Learn to say “No” to low priority tasks or to delegate them, its better to complete one task, then to start five and complete none.
• Make time for enjoyable activities, a balance of work and play will make both a better experience.
• Be an optimistic realist, change what you can; accept what you can’t.

All areas of life deserve your attention. Make sure the choices you make today are what you want to live with in your future.

About Marie Diaz: Marie is the Founder and CEO of Pursuit of Excellence, Inc., a Dallas based Human Resource Outsource Provider.

The company was founded in 1994 to provide small to medium sized companies with a full range of human resource services including human resource risk assessment, risk management, organizational and people development, payroll processing, and employee rewards administration. These offerings create the acronym H.O.P.E. which gives rise to the Company’s motto: Delivering H.O.P.E. to businesses and industry worldwide.

The Company offers a series of training programs in the areas of organizational development, leadership, teamwork, personal effectiveness and sales. These programs range from basic to advanced, and may be customized to meet the demands of most organizations.

Marie may be reached at info@poehr.com

The advantages of working in a high trust environment are evident to everyone from the CEO to the shop floor, from suppliers to customers, and even the competition. Building and maintaining trust within any organization pays off with many benefits. Unfortunately, very few organizations have been able to create an environment of high trust. The few that have enjoy an incredible sustainable advantage. To understand why, we can contrast high trust environments with lower trust areas along many dimensions.

 Solving Problems – In organizations of high trust, problems are dealt with easily and efficiently. In low trust organizations, problems become huge obstacles as leaders work to unscramble the mess to find out who said what or who caused the problem to spiral out of control. Often feelings are hurt or long term damage in relationships occurs. While problems exist in any environment, they take many times longer to resolve if there is low trust. That is wasted time.

 Focused Energy – People in organizations with high trust do not need to be defensive. They focus energy on accomplishing the Vision and Mission of the organization. Their energy is directed toward the customer and against the competition. In low trust organizations, people waste energy due to infighting and politics. Their focus is on internal squabbles and destructive turf battles. Bad blood between people creates a litany of issues that distract supervision from the pursuit of excellence. Instead, they play referee all day.

 Efficient Communication – When trust is high, the communication process is efficient as leaders freely share valuable insights about business conditions and strategy. In low trust organizations, rumors and gossip zap around the organization like laser beams in a hall of mirrors. Before long, leaders are blinded with problems coming from every direction. Trying to control the zapping information takes energy away from the mission and strategy.

High trust organizations rely on solid, believable communication, while the atmosphere in low trust groups is usually one of damage control and minimizing employee unrest. Since people’s reality is what they believe rather than what is objectively happening, the need for damage control in low trust groups is often a huge burden. 

Retaining Customers – Workers in high trust organizations have a passion for their work that is obvious to customers. When trust is lacking, workers often display apathy toward the company that is transparent to customers. This undermines top line growth as customers turn to more upbeat groups for their services. All it takes is the roll of eyes or some shoddy body language to send valuable customers looking for alternatives. 

A “Real” Environment – People who work in high trust environments describe the atmosphere as being “real.” They are not playing games with one another in a futile attempt to outdo or embarrass the other person. Rather, they are aligned under a common goal that permeates all activities.  When something is real, people know it and respond positively. When trust is high, people might not always like each other, but they have great respect for each other. That means, they work to support and reinforce the good deeds done by fellow workers rather than try to find sarcastic or belittling remarks to make about them. The reduction of infighting creates hours of extra time spent achieving business goals. 

Saving Time and Reducing Costs

High trust organizations get things done more quickly because there are fewer distractions. There is no need to double check everything because people generally do things right. In areas of low trust there is a constant need to spin things to be acceptable and then to explain what the spin means. This takes time, which drives costs up. 

Perfection not Required – A culture of high trust relieves leaders from the need to be perfect. Where trust is high, people will understand the intent of a communication even if the words were phrased poorly. In low trust groups, the leader must be perfect because people are poised to spring on every misstep to prove the leader is not trustworthy. Without trust, speaking to groups of people is like walking on egg shells. 

More Development and Growth – In low trust organizations, people stagnate because there is little emphasis placed on growth. All of the energy is spent jousting between individuals and groups. High trust groups emphasize development, so there is a constant focus on personal and organizational growth. 

Better Reinforcement – When trust is high, positive reinforcement works because it is sincere and well executed. In low trust organizations, reinforcement is often considered phony, manipulative, or duplicitous which lowers morale. Without trust, attempts to improve motivation through reinforcement programs often backfire. 

A Positive Atmosphere – The atmosphere in high trust organizations is refreshing and light. People enjoy coming to work because they have fun and enjoy their coworkers. They are also more then twice as productive as their counterparts in lower trust areas. In groups with low trust, the atmosphere is oppressive. People describe their work as a hopeless string of sapping activities foisted upon them by the clueless morons who run the place. 

These are just ten contrasts describing the difference between high trust and low trust organizations. There are many more distinctions, some of them very subtle. No list of contrasts could be complete. If you have an organization where trust is low, you are operating under such a huge disadvantage to your counterpart with high trust you cannot hope to survive. 

Most top leaders understand all of the above. The conundrum is, they sincerely want to build an environment of high trust, but they consistently do things that take them in the wrong direction. Many leaders end up hiring expensive consultants to help create a better environment within their organization.  This rarely works because the leader does not realize the problem cannot be fixed by an outsider. To fix the problem of low trust the leader needs to say: “the atmosphere around here stinks, and it must be my fault because I am the one in charge.  How can I change my own behavior in order to turn the tide toward an environment of higher trust?”

About Marie Diaz: Marie is the Founder and CEO of Pursuit of Excellence, Inc., a Dallas based Human Resource Outsource Provider The company was founded in 1994 to provide small to medium sized companies with a full range of human resource services including human resource risk assessment, risk management, organizational and people development, payroll processing, and employee rewards administration. These offerings create the acronym H.O.P.E. which gives rise to the Company’s motto: Delivering H.O.P.E. to businesses and industry worldwide.

The Company offers a series of training programs in the areas of organizational development, leadership, teamwork, personal effectiveness and sales. These programs range from basic to advanced, and may be customized to meet the demands of most organizations. Marie may be reached at info@poehr.com

 “The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men or women to do what he wants done,

and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.”

-Theodore Roosevelt

Successful companies often measure their value by their net worth, but their true value is in their people.  Employees propel a company upward, and this keeps the gears of commerce rolling. However, strong support systems do not occur through a process of natural selection. Rather, they are products of human selection, and humans, as we all know, are prone to errors in judgment.

 Poor judgment often proves costly at anytime. Yet, it is particularly detrimental when hiring decisions are involved. By bringing the wrong members on board, a host of maladies may affect a company: moral may suffer, clients may leave and profits may sag.

To avoid these pitfalls, businesses must take great care with hiring efforts.   Some companies seem to have mastered the formula for recruiting. Interestingly, the secret begins not with looking outward to the talent pool but by focusing inward to determine corporate culture and values. This system, as outlined in “Hidden Value: How Great Companies Achieve Extraordinary Results with Ordinary People,” by Charles A. O’Reilly III, and Jeffrey Pfeiffer (Harvard Business 2000), asserts that successful companies:

• Consistently apply people-centered practices
• Invest in training their employees
• Don’t treat employees as if they’re disposable

 Another common sense tactic that works well begins by assessing your current most valuable and productive employees.  What sets them apart from the rest? With this knowledge in-hand, you have an immensely useful aid in choosing new team members. Finally, an often overlooked part of the hiring process is member retention.

During the first three years, new hires are especially vulnerable to outside enticement. To keep them on board, you must “re-recruit” them by continuing to show that they are critical components of your success. As the rough, yet glistening gems in your company’s crown jewels are polished into diamond-like stars, the return on your investment will pay dividends.

 Tips and Tactics for hiring and keeping good people:

 Identify success factors and know what you want in a job candidate.

1. Recruit individuals who resemble your companies current “stars”.
2. Include others’ opinions in the hiring process.
3. Use personality and skill assessments… Which brings you the true person not the representative?
4. Use a trust worthy recruiting source that delivers long-term results.

Take the first step toward hiring the right people within your organization.  When you find yourself in the middle of future business battles and successes, you’ll be glad you did.

 About Marie Diaz: Marie is the Founder and CEO of Pursuit of Excellence, Inc., a Dallas based Human Resource Outsource Provider The company was founded in 1994 to provide small to medium sized companies with a full range of human resource services including human resource risk assessment, risk management, organizational and people development, payroll processing, and employee rewards administration. These offerings create the acronym H.O.P.E. which gives rise to the Company’s motto: Delivering H.O.P.E. to businesses and industry worldwide.

The Company offers a series of training programs in the areas of organizational development, leadership, teamwork, personal effectiveness and sales. These programs range from basic to advanced, and may be customized to meet the demands of most organizations. Marie may be reached at info@poehr.com