Manufacturing Excellence - Inspire, Lead, and Succeed with TRUST!

"Trust is like a vase... Once it's broken, though you can fix it, the vase will never be the same again."
- Unknown 

My grandma used to say this quote all the time and I have found it to be very true. 

Do you find that you trust people easily?
Would you say that you are a trustworthy person? 
Is it better to trust or not to trust, and what does this say about you as a person?
What does trust really mean to YOU?

I am proud to say that I am a very trusting person until somebody proves me wrong. For most of my life this attitude has served me well and I would not want to have it any other way. However, if someone abuses my trust, I am not very forgiving and I quickly hit the "delete" button in my list of contacts. The reason is simple. I neither want to have friends that I cannot trust nor untrustworthy business relationships because honesty and integrity are two of my core values.

If someone tells me that he or she trusts me, it is the biggest compliment for me. Sometimes it can take a very long time to earn someones trust but on the other hand it can only take a few seconds to lose trust in a person.

I believe that trust is one of the cornerstones in any good relationship.

Sometimes I believe that many people in business don't realize how important it is to build trust with customers, to build trust with business associates, to build trust with shareholders, and last but not least to build trust with employees. 

Our society uses power to manipulate people and "white lies" seem to be on the daily agenda and widely accepted. Many companies have to deal with mistrust, anxiety, fear and frustration within their corporate culture and this is certainly not something that will lead them to the road of success. 

Have you ever considered that trust works both ways....?
If you say that you trust your people to get a certain job done, how do you react when they make a mistake? 
Do you get really upset and say things you may regret later? 
Can they trust you that you really want them to take ownership and responsibility? 
Do you allow them to make mistakes to learn and grow without losing your temper?
Do you set rules for yourself and your team, and does EVERYONE play by the same rules?
If you know for yourself that building trust with someone does not come easy to you, do you think the other person can feel this vibe?

It has been said that people don't trust you because they understand you, they trust you because you understand them. So, how often do you go out of your way to walk in the shoes of your people and to try to understand where they are coming from? 
A different perspective can always help!

If you do everything it takes to build trust within your organization and if you work through difficult times, through the heat of the moment, and through daily challenges with a positive mindset, it will make you not only a better leader but also a much stronger team.

Trust in yourself and trust in others, and you will lead beyond your wildest imagination.