Great Managers Reject the Notion that Trust Must be Earned

Marcus Buckingham, from First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently:

And what of the notion that “trust must be earned”? Sensible though it may sound, great managers reject it.

They know that if, fundamentally, you don’t trust people, then there is no line, no point in time, beyond which people become suddenly trustworthy. Mistrust concerns the future. If you are innately skeptical of other people’s motives, then no amount of good behavior in the past will ever truly convince you that they are not just about to disappoint you. Suspicion is a permanent condition.

Of course, occasionally, a person will indeed let you down. But great managers, like Michael, the restaurant manager from the introduction, are wired to view this as the exception rather than the rule. They believe that if you expect the best from people, then more often than not the best is what you get.

Innate mistrust is probably vital for some roles — lawyering or investigative reporting, for example. But for a manager, it is deadly.

April 5, 2011 | Filed Under Management | 4 Comments

Comments

4 Responses to “Great Managers Reject the Notion that Trust Must be Earned”

David Reimer on April 5th, 2011 8:02 am

Interesting extract. But could you clarify an ambiguity? As I began to read, my assumption was that this was about the “manager” not needing to earn trust, but rather assuming they should be trusted, or that managerial relationships work apart from trust.

As the extract finishes, it feels like it is more about a manager’s assumptions about those they work with: they trust those in their charge, knowing that from time to time it will be misplaced.

Can you clarify, Matt? Is it the latter?
Doug Mullen on April 6th, 2011 4:49 am

I’d question whether “innate mistrust” is really helpful for any role. As a lawyer (who carries out investigations), I know that people won’t use me if they sense that I don’t trust them. Trust is vital for us. What I can’t do is to blindly accept everything I’m told. My experience (both as a lawyer and manager) is that one needs to be trusting both of staff and clients but also be prepared to recognise that sometimes what people are saying isn’t supported by other evidence. It’s not usually that they’re deliberately misleading you either – just that their perception of what happened is different.
Matt on April 6th, 2011 1:07 pm

David: Yes, it’s the latter. Managers need to trust their people, and this is the key to effective management.

Dough: Great point.
Chad Richard Bresson on April 7th, 2011 10:27 am

This must be especially true for the kingdom manager. Principles gleaned from 1 Cor. 13 (Love always trusts), Phil. 4:8 (always believe and speak the best about others), and the Golden Rule, set the manager’s default position at “trust”.