Episode: 368

Episode Title: Slow and Steady Builds Trust

Is there a magic bullet to rebuild broken trust? I wish there was, but that’s just not how trust works. Let’s talk about it, next on The Perna Syndicate.

Ep 368 show:

You’re now in The Perna Syndicate—welcome! As we kick off the first week of the new year with the topic of trust, I want to get practical. We’ve talked about why broken trust is contributing to the talent shortage and how to spot an organization where trust is lacking. Now, I want to talk about how to rebuild authentic trust with your team. 

There’s no magic bullet to bridge the trust gap. The only way to restore confidence is by making and keeping commitments. Small, consistent, and repeated actions in line with your beliefs and values will show people that you are a trustworthy individual. Consistent repetition of trustworthy actions and behaviors will, in most cases, help restore trust.

Dr. Travis, whom I’ve been quoting all week, says that often, following a breach of trust by a leader, he or she seeks a quick fix. A knee-jerk response is to revise a policy to show responsiveness to whatever brought about the loss of trust. But authentically trusted leaders know that simply drafting a new policy will not fix trust issues. Talk is cheap.

Instead, leaders seeking to re-establish trust must recognize that the regaining of trust won’t happen in a few days, weeks, or even months. It will take a long-term commitment. Each fulfilled commitment represents another actionable step toward restoring the bridge of trust.

Slow and steady is how we build—and rebuild—trust. 

Next up, what role do humility and listening play in bridging the trust gap? Let’s talk about on the next episode of The Perna Syndicate. Thanks for listening and we’ll see you back here tomorrow!