The legal cannabis industry is still developing, and as a result of that, numerous legacy market practices still occur. There is no doubt that no matter what stage of evolution or development you’re in, trust will always be the thing that keeps you and your company working effectively. In the legal world, one mistake can cost you your job. In the legacy market, one mistake can cost you your life!
First, though, we need a bit of background on the components of trust. Trust has 5 specific components: In the simplest terms: C.R.I.S.B.
C. Credibility – Can you do what you say you can?
R. Reliability – Will you do what you say you will?
I. Intimacy – Can you be trusted with sensitive details or private ideas or issues?
S. Self Orientation – Are you self-oriented or do you have the other person’s best interest in mind?
B. Believability – Are you believable? Simply put, are you honest? Do you trigger people’s BS meter?
Let’s take a deeper look into how you can develop your reputation as someone that can always be Trusted.
1. Be on time as much as possible and you will be known as someone that takes themselves and the business they conduct very seriously. When someone is continually showing up late and making no effort to change it’s insulting to the company they work for and the other people there. Nothing sets the tone for bad performance quite like being late for work or meetings or deadlines. On the flip side to someone that always runs late, you get the pleasure and benefit of dealing with a punctual person — someone who cares. When someone continues to show up on time without any hiccups they build an unspoken trust with the individuals in their lives. When something important needs to be done, theirs is the phone that rings first.
2. Never lie unless someone has a gun to your head, and that may not even be the right choice! Far too many employees have lost their job simply by being caught in a lie. Even if it wasn’t a big deal or nobody was hurt or nothing bad occurred, a lie is a death sentence as far as trust is concerned. If you lied about this, what else have you been lying about? That is exactly what your boss will be saying when they catch you in one. Your boss will respect you so much more for hitting them with the brutal truth. When you do that you save them time and time is money. No matter how bad the news is you must face the music so that business has a chance to respond properly and make adjustments. I would much rather hire an honest person that makes mistakes than a dishonest person that says they never have or never make any at all. I have a quote that I often use in coaching; “Never take advice from someone who hasn’t failed.”
3. Follow through all the way to the end. There is much to be said for someone who has developed some serious resolve. There seems to be more and more tolerance these days for mediocre results and nonchalant attitudes towards work ethic. Nothing will help you gain more respect than finishing what you start. Actions speak louder than words and sometimes you don’t need to say anything at all to ruin your reputation. Simply giving up too early will say everything that needs to be said about the ability to trust you. See things through to the end and you’ll be known as someone that doesn’t back down from a challenge no matter how difficult it seems.
Sometimes trust takes forever to attain and in the blink of an eye it can be gone. There will be times you run late, it just happens. However, if you’re on-time 99% of the time and you run late here and there it’s understandable because the effort is there. There will also be times that things can’t be seen through to the end in the time frame you’ve set for yourself. That too is understandable because life is constantly throwing you curveballs. Just know you only have so much time and it’s okay to put something on the back burner for a bit as long as you get back to it – and finish!
However, dishonesty and lies are the one thing for which there must be no room for error. A zero-tolerance policy should be what you should strive for. Just one lie or misleading statement can ruin your word forever. Nobody wants to be friends with a liar and we never become friends with someone that we can’t trust. So keep that in mind and think twice before you think you’re going to avoid responsibility by misleading your boss, your colleagues and your coworkers. If you want to stick around in the cannabis industry (or any industry) and make a great living, focus on earning a reputation as someone who can be trusted above all else.
A great deal of these behaviors can be attributed to Culture. Building a Culture of trust, acknowledgment, and appreciation goes a long way to mitigate many of these issues. For an assessment of your Culture and some quick ideas on how to find and fix issues, call us at GPS or Todd Wheeler at Management Insight 303-883-8001 or email me at todd@managementinsight.co