Lets Talk About Trust
Trust. In relationships, in life, and in business…it is so important. We use it when we are hiring, promoting, and terminating. But when we do Performance Appraisals, and we give feedback how do we measure it? How do we take something that is an instinct and make it intrinsic?
Simon Sinek once asked the US Marines how they determine who they would hire as part of their Team. In this process he learnt that the US Marines would rather appoint an individual will a moderate performance and high trust, over an individual who is a high performer with low trust. Trust is valued higher than Performance. Now granted, our working environment is a long, long way from the working environment of the US Marines, but even so, is trust any less important?
If you haven't seen Top Gun: Maverick - you should. But there is a pilot called Hangman. He gets his name because of his willingness to “hang you out to dry”. He is technically the best pilot, he flies with both technical skill and instinct. But he is untrustworthy to his team. Arguably we have all (or are currently) experiencing this type of trustworthy behaviour within our professional lives from: a direct report, a peer or worst still, a Leader.
A lack of trust can come in different forms. Some have experienced a work environment with a favourite employee: the life of the party, the first to have fun, but people avoid doing work with them because they end up doing all the work themselves. Conversely some have worked with an employee who is a high performer, but a complete jerk. Both these types are just as bad as each other for culture. The first person, who is beloved in the office, erodes culture over time as people stop giving them work, start taking on more to compensate, and ultimately, end up, resenting them. And jerks, well, their behaviour is self-explanatory.
So how do we currently measure trust? It is a feeling, an instinct, can we even measure something like trust? Well, we would say…YES! Our own internal Appraisal Process is designed around a 360 Review that specifically looks to address those things that are outside of (***normal***) performance-based measures. It is because we value our culture (our trust), over all things, that we have put so much time and effort into trying to measure and reward this.
If you are interested in the reference to Simon Sinek Here is the Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJdXjtSnZTI
