by Stephen M. Dent

Make Trust an Important Organizational Measurement

The good news is that you can measure trust just like you measure product quality or customer service excellence. There is an old saying: People do what they are measured to do. It's true! If you don't measure trust, you risk sending the message that trust is not important to you.

Trust is simple to measure -- just ask. An anonymous survey will reveal whether trust is being built or destroyed in your organization. Communicate the survey results to your organization and track them regularly. When you see the amount of trust backsliding, ask why. Also check yourself to make sure you really want to hear the truth. This might be a good time to review your Ability to Self-Disclose and Feedback skills, the first of the Six Partnering Attributes™.

When done properly, a trust indicator can let you know in advance if something is weakening trust in your business. The sooner you know, the quicker you can address it.

This is a small investment in maintaining morale, keeping information lines open and maintaining your good reputation. You'll see the benefits in employee productivity, customer satisfaction, and yes, stockholder confidence. How much is that worth to you?

Stephen M. Dent, founding partner of the consulting firm Partnership Continuum, Inc., is an award-winning organizational consultant working with such clients as USWEST, Inc. Northwest Airlines, AT&T, GE Capital Services, the U.S. Postal Service, NASA, Bank of America and Exult. He lives in Minneapolis MN.