Is there one critical element in our approach to work that could seriously help or hinder our success? This article will explore how individuals with a high trust quotient gain considerable leverage in complex business situations.

In my consulting practice, I have observed the following benefits accrue to people who are perceived to have a high trust quotient.

• Survived a personal career Waterloo without serious damage.

• Considered for a career opportunity even when not the perfect candidate.

• Given a second chance when their project was in serious difficulty

• Received a full and considerate hearing when delivering bad news.

What do these individuals do to earn this high level of trust? The following behaviors have worked for these individuals and will work for you.

Share The Credit: The following hypothetical situation represents a common dilemma facing many managers today.

Chuck Haven is about to enter the boardroom at Plexis Corporation to have his project reviewed. He is thinking, "In these difficult times; a meeting such as this has taken on much higher importance. Everyone is struggling to hold on to his or her position and to gain maximum visibility." He is conflicted over how much credit to share for the project's success. "After all, I'm the team leader and have been in the hot seat for months. Maybe the best bet is to get as much credit for myself as possible."

It is tempting to follow Chuck's lead; however, taking full credit is frequently transparent and can seriously damage your credibility. As many organizations restructure, leaders are looking for people who can work cross-functionally and share success. Give public credit to those who land the big account, invent new technology, or turn around a product recall. Senior executives understand that the day of the Lone Ranger is long gone. Share the credit and watch your trust quotient increase.

Keep Your Commitments: Trust can be quickly eroded by failure to keep even small commitments. When we say, "I will get back to you on that, and never follow-up or when we promise to have data to an individual by a specific date and are late, we decrease our trust quotient. In addition, a reputation for not delivering on commitments will result in people going around us to get what they need. Keep your commitments and let people know if anything prevents you from meeting these obligations.

Master Your Discipline: Top leaders quickly identify the "go to people" in their organizations. In the words of one executive, "I trust these people. I can give them a task and forget it." Most of us do a good job of keeping our technical skills honed. However, we may fail to maintain the important skill known as "Marketplace Savvy." This capacity to understand how market trends impact your business, contributes significantly to your reputation and trust quotient. In my work, I often get to measure this skill using the Executive Leadership Survey (Clark Wilson Group). I have discovered that a low score on this dimension can hurt an individual's reputation and success. A modest effort devoted to visiting customers and attending conferences can positively influence your "Marketplace Savvy" and mastery of your discipline.

Sharing Credit, Keeping Commitments and Mastering Your Discipline can help you achieve the benefits outlined at the beginning of this article. The additional benefit will be a high trust quotient and surprising career success.

Recommended Reading:
"Trust: How to Build It, Earn It and Reestablish It when It's Broken. Harvard Management Update." This article can be purchased at www.hbsp.harvard.edu.

Copyright 2006, Mark J. Campbell. All rights reserved.
Permission to reprint this article is granted, provided you let me know where it is being printed, the copyright is not removed, and the following text accompanies each article:

"Mark Campbell partners with organizations for leadership development. For a complimentary subscription to his newsletter, "Management Challenges," go to www.mjcampbellassoc.com."

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