Trust involves making ourselves vulnerable to other’s actions. This is true in all relationships, including business. How can we do business or work in a team with someone we don’t trust? And how do we develop trust? John Gottman, who specializes in relationships, shared:
“Trust is built in the smallest of moments.”
I’ve had so many of these small trust-building moments in my career. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Karen Slatford agreed to mentor me. She not only became a sideline mentor; she invested in building a relationship, a friendship, and an incredibly supportive and trusted advisor. When I asked after years how I could pay her back, she said she didn’t want anything from me, she simply asked that I pay it forward. Someone who gives without expectation of return is trustworthy.
- Mike Aquino, Ciena previous CRO, said: “If you capture hearts, minds follow.” When I interviewed for a position at his company, he wanted to talk about my passions and life goals, my personal goals, all before we discussed the details of the role and the job. I immediately trusted him and wanted to work with him because he cared about me as a person.
- Bob O’Malley taught me about the business relationship value. He said both the potential relationship and business value must be high for trust to develop. This is a process that takes time to build. Bob is our AchieveUnite guru of trust and value.
- Ron Rohner is often referred to as the godfather of the Channel. He taught me that relationships are a marathon not a sprint. They transcend the companies we work for. He also demonstrated the criticality of mentors who are entrepreneurs and who have done what you want to do.
Through these experiences, I learned that trust begins with individuals. On this Valentine’s Day, I want to express my appreciation for every wonderful person on the AchieveUnite team. We believe in doing business from the heart and bringing our authentic selves to work. Together we’ve accomplished amazing growth by providing proven Consulting services and Education programs that deliver business transformation to our valued Clients.
Today’s partnerships are dynamic ecosystems in which customer need and benefit are more important than the product or service you offer. It’s no longer about simply making transactions, but rather it’s about building long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships based on relationships of trust. Everything we do to help our clients grow at AchieveUnite is based on nurturing partner communities with deep trusted connections.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on how you gained trust and built partnerships from small moments. Reach out to us today!
