We have been sharing our thoughts on trust over the past couple of weeks. Trust is developed through a belief and reliance on someone – that they are who they say they are and they will do what they say they will do.
On a recent visit to the hospital I was taken aback by the time taken by all, whether they were the auxiliary staff or the consultant. They were extremely busy but, because of the nature of their job, they knew it was essential to reassure and build trust through the way they conducted themselves not just relying on their technical competence to do that for them.
And it got me thinking about the world in which we live and everyone, it would seem, is running around at breakneck speed. Do we really take the time to have those significant conversations at work or at home that will build a strong relationship?
So many jobs are not just about the specialism of that job but just as much about the way that people conduct themselves within that job. A customer service advisor is not just someone to answer queries. You only trust that they will do what’s been agreed when you feel they have empathised with you and they reassure you. So many times customers ring back simply because they are unsure that they can trust that person, no matter how factually correct the answer was. And in turn, when an advisor doesn’t do something that a manager has asked, more often than not, it’s because they don’t trust that person who has asked but rather that the manager hasn’t spent the time previously to warrant that trust and respect.
The conversations the nurses and consultants had were calm, soft and concise but left you with a sense of confidence you were in the best hands. Let’s face it, if anyone needs to run around with urgency isn’t it all those people that work in hospitals? But yet there is a sense of calmness and thought. So to all of you out there, a question for today. What is your “bedside manner” when talking to your people? I don’t mean that you have to spend significant amounts of time, this level of empathy can easily be demonstrated in a 5 minute conversation too.
However what your people need to know is that they are in the best hands with someone who they can trust and has their best interest at heart.
Go on, select one person, give it a go see the difference you can make today-good luck!
