How to Develop Trust With Your People

I recently had a conversation with a lovely lady that is part of the AMC family and learned more about her and some of the previous events not only in the beginning of her employment with us, but in her previous work years. She was thanking us for a gift we had given her (remember the $100 bill Leadership post?), and was talking on how some of the younger folks in our organization just don't fully understand how lucky they are to be at AMC, because she had been in previous work environments that were horrible, lacked leadership, and to the point at her last place of employment, they called the Boss, Dog Nazi.

We talked more, and she began to talk about when she was first at AMC and a few times when she was sick. And she said, "You remember the first time or two when I was sick, and I didn't call in or answer your calls looking for me?" And I said, "Yes!" On a sidenote, we were not very happy with her! She responded with, "I did that because in my previous job, my boss was so mean and degrading, that it was easier to not call in and either take the heat when I got back or even lose my job." Now, take a few seconds and just think about that. .... .... When she said that, given what had happened in her past, and the progress we have made with her, it all began to "click".

This fine lady had so many poor previous "bosses", not leaders, that it was easier to not communicate with us something that she feared would make us upset with her and make us respond with treatment not fair to any human. For us, it took over 1 year to fully gain this rockstar's trust with us. Her terrible previous experience created a serious lack of trust with just about anyone, and she responded with ways that were "easier for her" and even potentially lose her job, than have full trust in our response to her.

We have all worked for people that have made us not trust them or even future people we worked for. Some of us may have even worked for a tyrant at some point, of which she did, and it affected this great lady for many years! If you are working for a tyrant currently, leave! Period! Don't let them affect your life like that. Don't let them control you to the point that you don't trust them, cause that leads one to not trust many others! Leave! You deserve better!!

And if you are reading this, reflect back to your responses to people when they are gone, sick, or report a mistake to you. Have you responded in a negative or frightful manner? Or responded with how can I help you? Or what can we do for you? That simple response with dictate their future responses to you, be it with a mistake, a question for you, or if they are sick or need the day off for a reason. Your response is very huge in creating TRUST with your people! And taking it one step further, with our kids, how do you respond with them? It works no differently! Food for thought! And as for this fine member of the AMC Family, we have changed her life! And that is what it is all about!! Cheers amigos and Happy Leadership Thursday!!