Integrating the Trust Equation into Building a Safety Culture

I first encountered the trust equation in Stephen Covey's book, "The Speed of Trust." Here is what he writes:

“Trust affects us 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. It inspires and sustains the quality of every relationship, every communication, every work project, every business venture, and every endeavor. It changes the quality of every present moment and alters the trajectory and outcome of every future moment of our lives — both personal and professional.

Contrary to popular belief, trust is not something elusive and vague that you either have or you don't. On the contrary, trust is a pragmatic, tangible, and actionable asset that you can create, and much faster than you might have imagined.”

Given that the modern approach to building and developing a safety culture at an enterprise involves implementing a significant number of changes, it is crucial that management and employees trust you and your proposals and support them. In this article, I would like to share my personal experience of applying the trust equation, which I use in my daily work to achieve HSE goals and build a culture of safe behavior at ROUST Group.

The proposed formula establishes a link between the four main elements of trust, which relate to the truthfulness of words, actions, emotions, and motives:

T = (C + R + I) / S

where:

T = Trust

C = Credibility

R = Reliability

I = Intimacy

S = Self-Orientation

Credibility: The main principle is that you must always be confident in what you say and be prepared for any question or emergency situation that may arise during the development and/or implementation of a project. However, credibility is determined not only by your competence in a particular matter but also by your experience. Therefore, at the stage of discussing upcoming changes, it is IMPORTANT to talk about potential risks, previous mistakes, and the corresponding lessons learned.

Three key thoughts for increasing credibility:

• Never lie or even exaggerate
• Show employees that you have enough experience and energy to solve the issue
• If you don't know something, admit it directly and immediately

Reliability: Reliability is the component of the trust equation that requires constant action. It links words and deeds, intentions and actions. It is the orientation toward action that distinguishes reliability from credibility.

It is IMPORTANT that management and employees can rely on you, and that your actions do not diverge from your words. If you have set a specific deadline for an action, you must take all possible measures to meet that deadline and ensure the result.

Three key thoughts regarding reliability:

• Take on commitments in the small things: send the minutes today, call the contractor during the day, follow up with feedback on an issue shortly, etc.
• Prepare the most convenient plan possible: use only terminology, material formats, and schedules that are well-known to all participants
• If something changes in your plans, warn all interested parties immediately (in advance)

Intimacy: It is a fact that people tend to trust those with whom they have a close relationship and who care about their problems. A lack of close relationships is a common mistake in building trust. Intimacy is the most emotional component of the four elements of creating trust. It leads to emotional honesty, a willingness to expand the boundaries of interaction, and maintaining respect for each other and the established rules. If you have a close relationship with colleagues, it allows you not to fear making a mistake and to always remain a person in their eyes who can admit their mistakes, listen to the opinions of colleagues, and develop together with them.

Three key thoughts for creating close relationships in the team:

• Find common topics and values that unite you
• Don't be afraid to take the first step and talk to employees about topics that concern them
• Follow up and take an interest in the current state of affairs regarding issues that worry employees

Self-Orientation: Even just looking at the trust equation, it is obvious that the higher the level of self-orientation, the lower the level of trust. Leaders who are more interested in themselves and achieving only personal goals than in how to achieve a common result will not be able to gain the proper level of trust.

It is IMPORTANT to prevent the focus from shifting from collective tasks to your own.

Three key thoughts for forming a low level of self-orientation:

• When working with people, use open-ended questions more often, which will allow you to dive into the essence of the problem and demonstrate your level of interest
• Listen carefully to what your team members are saying. Summarize and paraphrase what was said to ensure you understood everything correctly
• Take responsibility for mistakes and failed results yourself

7 key rules for forming a high level of trust:

1. Follow through on what you say
2. Always remain a professional
3. Maintain personal contact — "face-to-face," "one-on-one"
4. Find common values
5. Show care for people
6. Encourage/celebrate success
7. Be honest, and let others see you as an honest leader

It is IMPORTANT to also note that this formula can lead you to success only if you follow it not only at work, when performing business goals and tasks when you are in view of management and other company employees, but every day, including after the workday ends, outside the company's territory. You can be an excellent worker, aimed at success, involved in all processes and projects, and deliver the desired result, but you can also lose it just as quickly if one of the workers accidentally sees how, outside of work, you do not follow the norms and rules that you declare during work.

It takes years to earn trust. To destroy it, a few minutes are enough.