{"id":10367,"date":"2012-08-01T07:00:18","date_gmt":"2012-08-01T14:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/?p=10367"},"modified":"2012-07-27T15:01:51","modified_gmt":"2012-07-27T22:01:51","slug":"which-comes-first-credibility-or-trust","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/?p=10367","title":{"rendered":"Which Comes First, Credibility or Trust?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>When it comes to being an effective Project Manager, one of your greatest assets in leading your project teams is trust. People must trust you if they are going to commit to you as their leader, and subsequently to your project and its goals.<\/p>\n

When trust is present, we gain an indispensable ally in our quest to create successful, sustainable project teams. If your team doesn\u2019t trust you (or each other), then your chances for a successful outcome are next to nil. Trust is essential to productivity.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can have all the facts and figures, all the supporting evidence, all the endorsement that you want, but if you don\u2019t command trust, you won\u2019t get anywhere.\u201d – Naill Fitzgerald, Former Chairman, Unilever<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I think many times in speaking about trust, we tend to use the word interchangeably with others such as integrity, credibility, and honesty. Even though they are related, they are not necessarily the same thing, and I\u2019m not just talking about the Webster\u2019s Dictionary definitions.<\/p>\n

But which one comes first?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Trust? Credibility? Integrity? And how do we know? It can be a tricky question, and ultimately there are many different ways to answer it. I have my own opinions on it, of course, and I\u2019m going to share them here.<\/p>\n

If trust is built over time, then it requires us to act consistently with our stated beliefs about who we are and how we work. That is integrity. And consistency can only be displayed over an extended period of time.<\/p>\n

Integrity requires consistency. Say what you do, and do what you say, even when no one is watching.<\/p>\n

Consistency builds credibility. I\u2019ll believe you, when you consistently show me. You have credibility with me.<\/p>\n

Credibility builds trust. I\u2019ve seen you\u2019re a person of your word. I trust you.<\/p>\n

And believe me, people are watching\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cThe moment there is suspicion about a person\u2019s motives, everything he does becomes tainted.\u201d – Mahatma Ghandi<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

So, why is it so hard to gain trust?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A disturbing trend: trust in organizations in on a steady decline. Of course, with the current economic challenges being faced, people are being asked to do more with less, and even then their jobs are not secure.<\/p>\n

In his bestselling book, \u201cThe Speed of Trust,\u201d<\/em> Stephen M.R. Covey points to some rather disturbing trends when it comes to trust:<\/p>\n