The 13 Behaviors: #3 Create Transparency 1/25/2018

The 13 Behaviors: #3 Create Transparency* You have heard the expression, information (or knowledge) is power; therefore, hording information can be a temptation to an immature leader. However, since information usually gets out anyway, the short term gain of withholding information then becomes a huge loss. Perhaps this is why so many companies today have gone from a "propriety" mindset to an "open-source" mindset. Sharing knowledge is both powerful and empowering because more can be accomplished with a team (community) than an assemblage of individuals. Of course, as with all of the 13 behaviors, there is a sweet spot in sharing information because there are times when not everything should always be in the open. Privacy and timing are just as important as openness; keeping some things in confidence, especially during a negotiation or to protect someone who is vulnerable, is always appropriate. Finally, another important thing to remember is that, like the other behaviors, there is a "counterfeit" to transparency. Those who try to create the "appearance" of transparency, while actually using information as a weapon, are particularly dangerous and untrustworthy, people. Like behavior #1Talk Straight and behavior #2Demonstrate Respect, Creating Transparency can create an atmosphere of trust very quickly and help build teams. Leaders should use this powerful tool thoughtfully.

The Thriteen Behaviors: #2 Demonstrate Respect 1/19/2018

The 13 Behaviors: #2 Demonstrate Respect* The two parts of "demonstrate respect" include: behave in ways that show fundamental respect and in ways that demonstrate caring and concern. I would say that these are like being courteous and generous. In 1922 the famous columnist Emily Post wrote, "to make a pleasant and friendly impression is not only good manners but equally good business." This might seem like a foreign language to an Army audience but many of us have learned in Asia and the Middle East that it is considered rude to conduct business without first asking about a person health or the welfare of their family. But isn't this really this is just human nature? After all, what do you think when you go into a business and you stand around waiting for someone to greet you? If instead someone immediately says welcome and I'll be right with you probably have a much better first impression. Many argue that today courtesy is a core business principal - just ask a manager at Nordstrom's or even Chic-filet. This is also true in our personal lives; our relationships with our own family can be improved with a courteous and generous attitude. Call, write, acknowledge and thank are all little actions that pay big dividends in trust with all those around us. Combined with talking straight, demonstrating respect can open doors of trust in almost any situation. (Consider a commander who orders his troops to "smile" at the hostile crowd - http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2003/iraq/heroes/chrishughes.html)

The Thirteen Behaviors: #1 Talk Straight 1/11/2018

Organizational Trust: The 13 Behaviors: #1 Talk Straight * Last month we finished with the principal of alignment, how organizations harness the power of behavior. We now take up the 13 behaviors that build trust and allow organizational trust to thrive, beginning with: Talk Straight. Talking straight almost seems like an anachronism in our modern "spin" and "fake news" society. I love the phrase in the film "12 O'clock High" where General Merrill says to General Savage "Let me hear it Frank, with the bark on." Our society has become so afraid of speaking truth that most everything is hedge and shade. Speaking truthfully is not an excuse for being rude or mean but "speaking the truth in love" (wounds of a friend), is a powerful behavior that can help heal our relationships and society. Have you ever heard the phrase "I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Think for a minute about what are the opposite of those three clauses; yes, that's right, what many "spin doctors" publicists and PR firms have turned into a "dark" art (AKA, lying). One of the things that the Speed of Trust curriculum teaches is that there is a "sweet spot" to each of the behaviors. In every situation you must find a way to tell the truth without either 'technically' telling the truth yet leaving a false impression, or on the other hand, blurting out the truth in a way that hurts people. Leaders who learn how to master the "sweet spot" of honest communication are like "golden apples in a silver tray," (highly prized).