The Pause Button

Happy Friday,

When something is really important, you push the pause button to give yourself a chance to absorb it fully. I’m pushing the pause button here. 

The last three Good News Fridays have keyed in on how trust strongly influences the trajectory of your career, team, and organization. No amount of education, expertise, or clever business strategy can overcome its absence. It’s that essential. Think about that for a second. You want your career to progress and your team or organization to succeed, but if people don't trust you, there’s not a thing you can do to make that success happen. Yet, people don't generally think of 'building trust' as something you can set out to do...on purpose. "You either have it, or you don't," they say. Wrongo...

Then there’s this: As trust is earned, the benefits accrue and compound over time, just like compound interest (Einstein's Eighth Wonder of the World.) So, with only one lightning-fast lifetime to get it right, you need to be aware and on it as early as possible. Sobering, no?

Thus, the purpose of this pause...

In response to a GNF two weeks ago, I received a note from John Zimmerman, who happens to be the General Manager of the best-run utility I know - The Truckee Meadows Water Authority (TMWA). And they're the best by a wide margin. Lean, efficient, exceptionally talented, motivated staff, excellent communicators - they punch well above their weight and enjoy broad public support. TMWA is what every public agency should aspire to be (but few are).

So, getting a note from the GM carried weight. John recommended picking up “The Speed of Trust” by Stephen Covey. Covey’s dad wrote “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.” I’m now halfway through The Speed of Trust, and I’ve already heard enough to want to pass this recommendation along to you.

You can use this book to reinforce what you've heard about trust here. It'll help train your brain to focus more on building trust with staff, leaders, clients, coworkers, and the public. Either way, take a pause to seriously ponder the current role of trust in your life/career and business. Are you consistently building more? Is your leadership team aware and actively building more with staff and clients? If not, the opportunity cost is also compounding!

Punchline: Whether mindful of it a little or a lot, trust is the foundation supporting your business and professional ambitions. Pay attention to your foundation. If you’re serious about business and professional success, build it on a solid and ever-expanding foundation of trust in you. 

And have a terrific weekend,

Dave

Feedback and blowback are always welcome here: dave@goodnewsfriday.com

Access the 52 past topics @ goodnewsfriday.com

Written by me, not ChatGPT, with speed assist and blunder avoidance by Grammarly.