Building trust is about doing and giving. Doing is being reliable, delivering what you promise to deliver to your tribe. When they trust you, the work gets done faster, nobody needs to check up on you. Giving is about acknowledging and rewarding what others deliver for you. Everyone responds positively to a bit of gratitude, a compliment and a simple Thank You!

Know what you want & let others CLEARLY know too. Check that there’s a common, agreed understanding of what you’re all responsible for and what needs to be delivered. Don’t tie the tribe up in jargon and tech-speak. Don’t go too fast and not check that everyone is following. Misunderstandings are the most common cause of conflict.

Continue to learn, hone your skills, be ready in unpredictable times. It won’t all be plain sailing and you’ll probably have to roll up your sleeves to do jobs you don’t yet know how to do. It’s uncomfortable, it’s a bit scary, but you’ll learn and you’ll be proud of yourself for doing it.

Know the people around you and build relationships. It’s hard to trust someone you don’t know. Yes, you can trust their reputation, what they’ve delivered on a professional level. But you need to know what their values are, their motivations and their modus operandus in collaborating, decision-making and handling conflict. That’s the glue that keeps the tribe together when you’re accelerating.

When it counts, stick to your promises, even if it involves sacrifice. You may be offered an exciting opportunity, a day out doing something you love, but which will let the tribe down. Commitment builds trust, don’t let them down. 

Live by your moral values. . You may have to choose between what is right and what is easy. So even if you feel like taking the easy route, you know you will only build trust by doing the right thing.

Think beyond yourself and care for other. You need to have the best interests of all your tribe members in mind. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is not just an old saying, it is a real trust builder.

BE CONSISTENT!  this underpins all the other pillars. The little things, done consistently, are what will make the big difference in every relationship.

Development