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Has the Meaning of Trust Lost its Value in Today's Society?

I received quite a few comments from readers on my last blog post. One reader asked the following questions:

Has trust lost its value in today’s society?

If trust is lost, can it be regained?

In the political arena, polls are often cited to reflect high percentage numbers when it comes to the “non-trusting” of politicians. The media is then quick to cite high poll numbers for the “like-ability” of a candidate. In other words, society seems to be saying, “I may not trust you, but I still think you are good person.” Yet, how can you trust a political candidate’s integrity if you can’t trust or value their decision-making?

Trust, Integrity and Truth are the foundation for a successful company culture.  Yet, this foundation can be broken down quickly by one person’s lack of honesty – or lack of trusted truth. There is a major negative human and economic impact for an individual, a company or organization when trust is lost. 

We see how lack of trust bleeds into various industry sectors. In the restaurant sector, for example, business at Chipotle continues to be seriously affected by the 2015 outbreak of foodborne illness, despite the establishment of strict food safety measures. In the car industry, Takata airbags is the focus of the largest auto recall in history. More than a dozen different automakers have been forced to recall cars with its products installed. 69 million Takata airbags have been recalled or will be recalled by 2019 in the United States alone.

The root cause of these “trust breakdowns” is very simple: a lack of truth; a lack of confidence to speak the truth—even when it may conflict with the direction of management. While many rely on the convenience of modern technology to detect possible failures in a system, these cases show the root cause is often human error. This is why it is so important for a business or organization to build their team on a trusted foundation with the same mission to challenge one another and create an environment that is comfortable for sharing diverse ideas while others willingly listen. 

Trust is not something a machine creates. Human integrity and ingenuity create a machine you can trust. Collaborating on new ideas and innovations fosters the future of a company or business.

A Team Built on Trust

Many businesses, relationships, companies, treaties and negotiations upon which much of the foundation of our society are built, were based upon the trust of a person’s word, their name, their commitment—or, quite simply, a handshake: “I give you my word, trust me.”

Yet, what is the value of trust?

Today, many do not understand the “sacredness” of trust in a relationship or business. Building trust seems easy as long as you keep your commitment, yet once you lose that trust, you will never really regain it.

Trust is grown through a “common cause” belief system which we often call the mission statement of a group or company.

To build trust within your team, you must be willing to build relationships with each and every individual. A relationship that is built on trusted conversation includes diverse thoughts and ideas.  Honest conversation about issues and topics may touch on the weakness of a person, yet those weaknesses can always be turned into strengths.

You need to hold people accountable for their actions—and be clear about your expectations of their commitments to various action items and projects.

Trust speaks the truth, always. One has to be willing to speak the truth and listen to the other person’s experience or opinion.

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TRUST (n.)

1. reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence.

2. confident expectation of something; hope.

3. confidence in the certainty of future payment for property or goods received; credit to sell merchandise on trust.

4. a person on whom or thing on which one relies: God is my trust.

5. the condition of one to whom something has been entrusted.

6. the obligation or responsibility imposed on a person in whom confidence or authority is placed: a position of trust.

7. charge, custody, or care: to leave valuables in someone's trust.

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