Where there is good communication there is a foundation for trust. But how do organizations create an environment that rewards and encourages communication?

The author Steven Covey stated a principle of communication in his book entitled The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Habit 5 is a necessary ingredient to building trust. It is: “Seek First to Understand. Then to Be Understood”

In the book Good to Great, Jim Collins explains the importance and differentiator of great leadership by using a 5 level model concept. Level 5 or top leadership model is: “Humility + Will = Level 5.”

Why humility? What is the connection between humility and seeking to understand? How do both contribute to building trust?

If a leader gives the impression that they are superior to others or that if you come with an idea, you better be right or else, would that encourage willingness to express thoughts, ideas and concerns? Not really. If on the other hand, a leader creates an atmosphere where one feels safe to express ideas and opinions, wouldn’t people be willing to engage in dialogue? Of course they would.

Trust is the foundation of relationships:

Just as water seeks out the cracks in a foundation, information gaps will be filled by conjecture. As water expands when it freezes and does damage to the foundation, assuming the worst about others damages and breaks trust. Negative perceptions and the consequences of those perceptions would be avoided by not assuming why a fellow employee has said or done something. When the culture promotes and encourages dialogue even for difficult conversations the pitfalls of the absence of good information are virtually removed.

Understandably a person would not always agree with why the person said what they said or did what they did. However, a level of understanding and respect would continue to exist because of accurate knowledge. Asking and listening is always better than assuming and making stuff up.

Four personal EQ components for trust to exist:

1)It is important for leaders to be Self-Aware. 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-Manage. 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 others preferred communication style opens the door to communication. 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.