Learning's Role in Building Trust?

[Mike Prokopeak]

Research indicates that trust is key to productivity, especially with external partners. How can we use learning and development to build trust within an organization?

[Paul Toth]

I believe we can use learning and development to help us with the tools and techniques for trust building, but we have to earn that trust as do our external partners.
PAul

[Barbara Kuklewicz]

I recently read "The Speed of Trust" by Stephen M.R. Covey (Dr. Stephen R. Covey's son) and highly recommend it. So I consulted it in response to your question: "How can we use learning and development to build trust within an organization?" There are 3 themes Covey describes that can address this: 1) Transparency, candid information shared openly, talking straight, confronting real issues; 2) Alignment with company goals and initiatives; 3) High degree of accountability, being accountable and holding others accountable. Where learning and development comes in is ensuring that its initiatives directly align with contributing to the company's competitive advantage by providing employees with skills and knowledge that are relevant and timely. By conducting focused needs analyses learning and development professionals can target real performance gaps and eliminate them. We can demonstrate our competence and build trust by measuring training impact. Lastly, all information and materials emanating from the learning and development organization must be "need to know" rather than "nice to know." This means removing jargon and ambiguity and answering learners' key questions candidly. This is a start to building and re-building trust within an organization.

[Leigh Mastrantonio]

Right on, Barbara! Well said. Covey's "Speed of Trust" book is an excellent resource and you did a great job highlighting how L&D can build trust. The chord your comments struck with me is that as a L&D professional trust is built by creating value. Being transparent, aligning learning objectives with departmental goals/outcomes and providing outcome based information all contribute to being a value added resource and as you pointed out, to creating trust. Thank you for articulating your thoughts so well.

[Mary Lippitt]

In my experience, trust within an organization correlates with confidence that what people commit to do actually gets done. L&D can contribute by ensuring that leaders know how to craft an action plan or agreement, agree to regularly communicate progress on the agreement, and then measure success.

I also think L&D can contribute by broadening how people define trust. Some feel "trusted" when they have access to data, while others feel trusted when they have customer interface. Trust like beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

[Sam Palazzolo, CPLP, PCC]

Mike,

Like Barbara, I too am a big fan of Stephen M.R. Covey's "The Speed of Trust". I was able to have lunch with him when he was on his initial book launch tour, and I think that the one thing that has stood out for me since that encounter nearly three years ago was when he said "Trust... With it, anything is possible. Without it, it seems that nothing is!"

So to answer your question, this is what we do at Pathos when we engage with a client to thrust Trust forward. First, we determine the overall direction of the organization through key leader interviews (NOT surveys). From there, we identify key goals/organization values. We then assess the remainder of the organization and determine their execution on those goals/values. The gaps (there often are many...) are opportunities for learning and development programs. We identify key metrics that will measure success upon implementation, and then customize training/coaching sessions thereafter.

A lot of activity (all in six sentences) but I think the results speak for themselves. Hope that helps. If you'd like to discuss further, please don't hesitate to reach out to me.

Sam Palazzolo
Pathos Leadership Group

[Tony Sheehan]

It strikes me that a key challenge to L&D within organisations at present is trust in the materials being used.

At a time when Google accesses so much content for free, L&D programs must provide enhanced value through reliable, useful, insightful knowledge that provides a firm foundation for further learning and application. If this foundation is in place, initial content and knowledge delivery can then also provide a stimulus for community debate and discussion where trust between individuals can develop.

[Jim Beeler]

There are a few other books written on organizational trust, but Covey hit's it squarely and firmly. L&D is the first step in developing trust for too often those with trust issues fail to recognize steps, methods, or missing elements of trust. L&D can forge a real tool for building, maintaining, and improving trust in the organization. Great inputs on the subject.

[Jason Kleid]

I would like to add a few ingredients to building trust.
1) It is important to have self-awareness. Awareness of your own behavioral tendencies (strengths & weaknesses) provides the basic foundation for increased communication and ultimately building trust. When one becomes self-aware they now have the ability to be self-correcting. For example: Some people interrupt when others are talking. If the interrupter is aware of this, they can consciously learn to listen more and wait before responding
2) It is just as important to Self-Regulate. Once you have developed a heightened awareness of your behavior, you now can begin to consciously control what you do. For example: If you like to be the center of attention and talk a lot and you meet a person who also likes to verbalize, you can consciously choose to listen more and ask questions, knowing that the person will enjoy the opportunity to verbalize even more.
3) The third component is to Know Others. Leaders or anyone for that matter should learn to recognize behavioral differences in others. Understanding how others prefer to be communicated with opens the door to good communication, which is vital to building trust. This heightened awareness allows you to take the crucial step of creating more win/win situations. Lao Tse said: “He who knows others is learned. He who knows himself is wise.”
4) The fourth component has to do with one’s Value System. A person who not only talks the talk, but walks the walk gains the respect of others. A person who says one thing and does another loses respect and trust. Consistency and reliability is a key to building trust.