by Sue Kugler.
There is one thing that is common to every individual, relationship, team, family and organization – one thing which, if developed and leveraged creates individual and organizational success. That one thing is trust.
Have you ever had a big brainstorming meeting that fell completely flat? You dreamed of sitting around a whiteboard sharing ideas as a team, but the reality was a group of people avoiding eye contact and hesitantly making suggestions. The problem? There was little trust in the room. Without trust, people are reluctant to put themselves out there. If they do, they’re vulnerable. Which means they could be dismissed or judged.
Conversely, employees who trust their co-workers and leadership are more likely to be open, honest, empathetic, collaborative and constructive.
One of Douglas’ core values is Unwavering Integrity. At the heart of unwavering integrity is trust. An environment and culture of trust leads to stronger relationships, superior innovation, excellent customer experiences, multiplied productivity, meaningful work and enriched lives.
Trust is a confident belief in a person or organization:
- To do what is right
- To deliver what is promised
- To be the same every time, in spite of the circumstances
Trust is the natural result of our thousands of tiny thoughts, words and actions. In every interaction each of us either increases or decreases trust. There are many ways we can demonstrate and build trust and here are a few: clarity, compassion, competency, connection, contribution and consistency. Let’s learn a little bit more about each.
At Douglas, we work to build trust by –
- Being clear. People trust clarity and mistrust ambiguity. Clarity inspires teamwork, reduces conflict and provides focus.
- Having compassion. The most trusted people have the ability to think beyond themselves. People can tell if you care about them by the way you listen, appreciate and serve others.
- Being competent. Those with high competence work to stay fresh and relevant. The ability to learn new things amidst rapid change is an important skill and prepares Douglas for the future.
- Building connections. Taking a genuine interest in others goes a long way toward building a connection. People want to do business and associate with people that can connect.
- Making contributions. People trust results which means we work to deliver on our promises. If we don’t get things done, we lose trust.
- Being consistent. People want to know we are going to act the same, deliver the same service or product and conduct ourselves the same regardless of the circumstances.
Trust impacts us 24/7, 365 days a year. It affects the quality of every relationship, every communication, every work project, every business venture and every effort in which we are engaged. It changes the quality of our present moments and alters the outcome of every future moment of our lives—both personally and professionally.
If you’d like to learn more about Douglas’ differentiated packaging automation and services, contact us today! And if you’re looking for more than a job where you can reach your goals and love your career, apply at Douglas today!