Monday, December 7, 2020

Maths phobics - look away now !!! I have combined maths and trust ( some may say an odd combination!) ...it's time to look at the TRUST EQUATION from Maister.

In his book, The Trusted Advisor, Maister looks at the idea of a trust equation that can measure the level of trust in a relationship. So, here we go

TRUST = C + R + I

                S

Oohh - scary maths equation! This is a lot of letters, but let us now attach a meaning to them. In our lifestyle choice, I believe that Credibility and Reliability are the most important to our situation- and these are the ones that we personally focus on. The other two, Intimacy and Self Orientation are sometimes more challenging to deal with because of the feelings  ( and hassle!) that are associated but these are key to increasing levels of trust !!!!

Have a look at my interpretation of the above ideas

Credibility                  You know your content                       

                                     Expertise, Experience, References, Credible presence

Reliability                   You demonstate that you can be trusted to perform

                                    Promises = Actions, Clear Goals, Act with purpose ,ISI inspection reports,

                                    dependable

Intimacy                     I can talk about how I really feel   

                                    Take risks to explore info and feelings. Ask difficult Q, Acknowledge other

                                     people feelings, 

                                    Truthful, Get into the other persons shoes, Be honest in a safe space to

                                    talk.

Self Orientation         You are focussed on my success. You put others success ahead of

                                    your agenda. 

                                    Total focus on others and their issues, Focus on defining the heart of the

                                    problem or issue.

                                     Ask open questions that challenge, Put others needs ahead of your own.

                                     Take responsibility  for your own actions and behaviour.

So, if I was to say these words to you - would our lists match?

Take time to rise to my maths challenge! Trust me and relax, the numbers are easy and no one will know that you have used a calculator!

Consider a professional relationship that you have - Mark each of these areas out of 10 that you feel that the person would give you. Step into their shoes and be honest with the scores. Gaining trust requires that you do well in all of these areas... but be careful. Look at the equation above - if you have a high score for 'S' then the overall level of trust drops - what an interesting point.

By using this equation  you can begin to measure your level of trust in your realtionships with other professionals. By knowing where the other person sees you now, one small step can help increase the score.

Take one small step to think of a specific thing that you could do to increase trust and strengthen a key working relationship. Try it now ..

Maths lessons over...... calculator anyone !

Thank you to my fellow coaches for this information- and to David Maister. If you would like more information on this - check out the book - 'The Trusted Advisor'.