5 Simple Ways to Build Trust-5 Simple Ways to Lose It!

Building Trust in business is imperative to your success in any business.

Here are 5 simple ways to build trust:

1. Be Honest- Always tell the truth


2. Ask Questions and LISTEN to the answers


3. Listen for any problems/issues


4. Follow up


5. Admit Mistakes

Unfortunately, here are 5 simple ways to lose that trust. Once trust is lost, it is VERY hard to get it back. Think before you do any of these. 1 minute of indulging in any of these behaviors could cost you a life time of trying to gain that trust back!

1. Lie, "stretch the truth" or "skirt the issue"


2. Gossip about others


3. Talk about yourself incessantly


4. Drop the ball, don't follow through on what you say


5. Blame

When should I engage my IT resources in a business initiative?

Ever been in this situation? You are meeting with business stakeholders and they present a new idea that needs technical solutions. You made sure you clearly understood the mission, goals and requirements to bring the idea back to your Information Technology (IT) resources. Are you really ready to engage IT ?

No. Your IT resources are precious and you don't want them scoping every idea that comes along. I would propose going back to the beginning of this scenario. It is not enough to understand the mission, goals and requirements of an initiative. You also need to understand the business problem, value and priority.
There are some basic questions I ask of the business before bringing IT resources into the mix.

1) What is the problem the business is trying to solve? So often we jump into solutions without truly understanding the real problem. Maybe the problem could be solved via a process vs. a system. If that is the case, you likely saved you IT partners at least 8 hours of scoping.
2) What is the business value? You are going to need this to do any type of ROI, so get it up front. If the business has not thought this through, help them figure it out.
3) What is the priority of this effort to the business? Do they understand that scoping this initiative may take people off of other projects or slow projects down? If you clearly lay out the time commitment and the trade offs for the business, they will make the priority decision.
4) Once you understand the problem, value and priority to the business you can create the mission and the goals WITH the business.
5) When gathering the basic requirements, be sure to clarify the priority of the requirements. Which are "must haves" which are "important" and which are "nice to have". This will help your IT resources determine cost estimates for different scenarios.
6) Realistically, when do they want this initiative delivered. Everything can't and shouldn't be delivered in 3 months. The timing will affect the cost. You have to understand scope and timing before you can ever estimate resources/cost.
7) Does the business have a budget in mind? I am not talking exact numbers, but I am talking about ranges... under $250k, up to $500k, $1M? If you know the business value and you understand their budget constraints you have a clearer picture. You won't always be able to get to this... the business may say- "I have no idea, can you give me a ballpark of how much you think it will be?". I would advise that you not give any ballparks until you have looped in your IT partners!

Until you understand all of these questions, I would suggest you let your IT resources work on their current priorities. Asking these questions and coming up with a true business case will not only save you time, but it will also save you money. I would also advise that this become a process. Everyone should clearly understand what needs to be done before an initiative is brought to IT. I promise you, this WILL pay off in the end.

Control or Empowerment? Which is more effective?

I have read a ton of articles lately around "control vs. empowerment" when it comes to social media. Some companies are afraid that if they play in social media, they will lose control. We have been in such a "control-based" environment that it is tough for more traditional companies to step back and realize that the customer is empowering themselves. If you choose not to play in this media, you choose to let people talk about you without being involved in the conversation. Social Media allows the customer to speak- like it or not.

But this post is not just about Social Media, this post is about how you lead people. The premise if very similar. Do you control your staff or do you empower them?
I would argue that a manager that controls their staff is not very self confident and ends up placing fear and paralyses in their people. How many risks will people take if they are scared of their boss?

Now lets look at a leader that empowers their staff. Empowering means giving your staff the latitude to do their job. As a leader you provide vision and direction, but then you empower your people to get the job done. Your brand will be a lot stronger when your people feel like they are empowered to do their job and speak on behalf of the brand. This instills a sense of pride and responsibility. I guarantee that you will get more done with empowerment than control.

If you are a control freak (yes, I am a recovering control freak), you have to figure out how to let go. As I let go of control and started to empower my team, I experienced more successes. As I experienced more successes, I empowered my team more- it is a self fulfilling prophecy! Here is how I empower vs. control:

1) I work WITH the team to set a clear vision and mission. I don't go off and create it in an office. The outcome is always stronger with input from the team.
2) I insure each team member understands the vision and how it affects their job.
3) I share my "secret" of being a recovering control freak with my team.
4) I tell each staff member what information I need from them to prevent me from back sliding into a place of control. Basically, I encourage my team to come to me as issues are bubbling up, not after they've happened.
5) I give them permission to tell me if I am drifting into control mode, then we determine how we will work together to course correct.
6) If there is an issue that requires my involvement I ask questions. Questions will get you so much more information than accusations or directives.
7) Once I understand the situation I work WITH my team member to solve the problem. I don't solve it for them and I don't take over the situation- the results are so much greater and the team member learns MUCH more in this scenario.
8) I check in with my team and ask for feedback- I do 360 degree feedback asking supervisors, peers and partners for feedback. This keeps me honest in my quest to empower vs. control. See my post on feedback.

This is my "8 step plan" to empower others. How do you empower others? I'd love to know.

Influencing Without Authority- HOW???

I met with a Sr. VP of a Fortune 25 company last week and we talked about how to get things done in a highly matrixed organization. The conversation lasted about an hour and we came to the conclusion that the most successful people in a matrixed organization "Influence Without Authority."

When I was at Target, my teams did this everyday as program and project managers. There is a book called Influencing without Authority and here are the "cliff notes" . The book not only talks about people, it also talks about organizations and how they must change. While I agree with what the author says about company change, I have found that it is hard for organizations to turn on a dime and change at their core to become flattened in hierarchy, fast, flexible, focused and fit. If you are counting on that, you'll be waiting a long time. You and your teams have to figure out how to influence without authority in the organization TODAY. While I was at Target, using this book as a catalyst along with the obvious needs of my staff I partnered with HR to create an "Influencing Without Authority" training class for my team. It was so successful that it was rolled out to all of Target.

It is really a pretty simple idea that can be recapped by a phrase your mother used to say, "treat others the way you want to be treated." I could use a cute acronym, but I won't.
There are 6 basic ideas:

Partner- Work WITH the person, not against them. Become their ally.
Ask- Ask a lot of questions to find out about their business. You are their advocate.
Understand- Seek to understand their needs and understand their priorities .
Help- Determine how your project can help them with their needs. Discuss the needs WITH your team to see if they have any ideas.
Explain- Through the process, partner with them explaining the what you are doing as well as WHY. You are not going to be able to meet all of their needs and by explaining what you are doing and why, most people understand and are open. Be sure to explain the benefits to the company, not just to 1 department.
Follow Through- Tell someone you are going to do something and you better follow through. There is no better way to build trust and create a strong relationship. Even if you can't do what you promised, be honest and follow through with that person- it will go a long way.

If someone were working on a project and came to you in this way, wouldn't you be more open to the person? Obviously there is a lot more to influencing without authority, but I think these are the foundation.