I live in a condo and am on the HOA
Board (and, yes, some of my neighbors read this blog!). We recently fired our management
company. Why? Because our collective frustration had
reached the point where we no longer trusted Tony, the manager. Delayed responses to emails and phone calls,
a defensive tone when answering honest questions and a pervasive lack of
transparency caused us to lose faith.
Soon after firing Tony, we met with
the rep of another company and immediately we felt relief. Joe arrived to the meeting on time and offered
a comprehensive overview of what he and his company could do for us as a Board
and for our neighbors – for our collective investment.
First impressions don’t always
align with later reality but Joe was able to reassure us BECAUSE in a clear,
respectful way he explained who he was, what he was about and what he stood
for. In hindsight, I realize Tony never
did that. He managed our condo for three
years and I still don’t know what he wants to be known as and for.
Trust is established when people
know who you are – and why you want to be that person. That’s why we trust Joe and why we lost trust
in Tony.
Beau is a new client who’s asked me
to help him become a more engaging speaker.
For his first assignment, I asked him to name the five words he wants
people to associate with him. These are
his words: intriguing, interesting, powerful, knowledgeable and humble.
Although I’ve only started to work
with Beau, I can see why he’s chosen these words. He values these characteristics and is able
to explain why he puts a premium on them.
I think Beau is a man of TRUST. And I think ‘trust’ is a quality that’s not
found on every street corner because most people don’t know what they want to
be known as.
These past weeks we’ve been
celebrating a season of hope and faith, of giving and believing. Oddly, we don’t associate the word ‘trust’
with this season – or any season really.
And, yet, amidst all the chaos that’s reported on the news, trust is
what we most clamor for.
So here’s the thing – trust starts
with me and with you. What do you want
to be known for? What are the five words
you want the rest of us to put our trust in?
If you understand what you want to be, if you resolve to be trustworthy,
then I’m convinced that those New Year’s resolutions you’re sorting through
will come into focus. You’ll know who
you want to become more of.
Happy, Daring, Joyful, Contented, Hopeful New Year!
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