Trust Me

16th Jun 11

Whether it is purchasing a concert ticket online or getting employee buy into your company strategy, trust is an essential underlying principle that determines the success. As communicators we know that trust can make or break a company’s success – its reputation and its performance.

Here at the IABC World Conference Dr Pamela Shockley Zalabak, Chancellor University of Colorado, provided the audience with the stark reminder that trust is something that a company needs to earn and earn and earn. It is something that cannot be taken for granted and is something that is highly dynamic relative to time, place and person. As humans we make trust evaluations based on verbal and nonverbal communication and as communicators we need to use these tools to help build a trust environment that can have short term and long term value to enhance organisational effectiveness, job satisfaction and profitability.
Bringing together sound academic principles and a wealth of private sector experience, Dr Shockley Zalabak has identified 5 key Drivers of trust that are consistent across culture, industry and size of organisation. These 5 Drivers are - Competence, Openness and Honesty, Concern for Stakeholders, Reliability and Identification. By evaluating your corporate and communication strategy in terms of the strength of these 5 Drivers can reveal how much trust is being earned by your organisation and enable you focus your communication actions on the area that matter most.
Communicated in a crisp and clean manner Dr Shockley Zalabak’s trust model brings simplicity and rigour to something that is otherwise a complex and esoteric issue. Whether dealing with employees, shareholders, or members of the media or community the model is a valuable tool that highlights that ‘trusting’ someone should never be confused with’ liking’ someone. Something to think about the next time you get the urge to click the like button on Facebook.

Katherine O'Regan