Welcome to part 3 of a 3-part series on TRUST. In part 1, we talked about EARNING trust. Part 2 was all about CULTIVATING trust once it’s earned. Today, we’re going to discuss KEEPING it.

Earning trust can take a long time. Cultivating it is an ongoing process. But trust can be lost in an instant. It can take days, weeks, months, years, etc. to earn it back. Many times, it is never earned back.

So how do we KEEP trust? Here are 3 ways:

DELIVER on the promises you make – It’s important to do what you say you’re going to do when you said you would do it. Simple enough. Then why doesn’t everyone trust everyone else? It’s because as simple as it is to follow through on promises, too many people fall short. Are there legitimate reasons why a promise cannot be fulfilled? Sure there are. If an obstacle arises, it should be communicated effectively – not as an excuse but as a legitimate challenge to getting the job done. Communication helps to build trust. A lack of it erodes trust.

Deliver on promises you DON’T make – Huh? Have you heard the adage, “Under-promise and over-deliver”? This is exactly what we’re talking about here. If you really want to keep someone’s trust for the long haul, get very good at giving more than is expected. Surprise the hell out of people! Be bold. Be forward-thinking. Be creative.

W.I.I.F.M. – Answer this question!! The acronym W.I.I.F.M. stands for “what’s in it for me?” Decisions are made based on the specific answers to that question. Human logic and reasoning are in no small part based on W.I.I.F.M. Have a GREAT Value Proposition and deliver on that value promise. My upcoming book, “What’s In It For Me? The Driving Force Behind Making Decisions & Better Leadership” discusses W.I.I.F.M. in greater detail. Keep an eye out for information on how to get the book once it’s published (Spring 2016.)

I hope you enjoyed this series on TRUST. What are your thoughts? Share them by commenting. Let’s get a discussion going!

Is your organization’s leadership ready to get ABSURDLY great? Learn more about ABSURD! – A Leadership Thought-System. Complete the information form here and you’ll receive a FREE preview of the book I mentioned above – I’ll send you the first 3 chapters!! No obligation!