Earn Trust

My lifelong partnership and journey with horses is the inspiration for “Straight from the Horse’s Mouth”. Lessons from the stable to the workplace.

Most of the time, trust is earned not given. Trust is the most important part of any partnership or relationship. Once lost, trust can be very difficult to regain.

Horses are very forgiving and tolerant. They are herd animals and get their security and protection from being with the herd. Clear direction, consistency & fairness is best way for an owner / trainer to earn trust from their horse.

Once you’ve earned trust of your horse, he will see you as leader of the herd & seek guidance from you. This is important in times of stress or anxiety – competition, learning something new, etc.

In business, earning the trust of colleagues & stakeholders is critical to success. Some say trust is earned in droplets but lost in buckets. As important as trust is, it can be earned in simple ways (droplets):

• Helping with a project -- offer to help even if not technically your job

• Being reliable and consistent

• Following through on all commitments

• Sharing relevant information vs. always keeping things "close to the vest"

• Keeping confidences

• Demonstrating thought leadership -- share ideas and insights with others

Would love to other examples of how trust can be earned!