Engendering trust is important in your business

PIT HAS long been said that “trust not money is the currency of business and life.” – David Horsager.

In an article “Trust is a bottom-line decision | The Trust Edge”, David Horsager said “trust is essential to personal and organisational success. Trust affects an organisation’s effectiveness and its bottom line.

Without trust leaders and organisations lose in every way. They lose productivity, employee retention, morale, effectiveness, efficiency, customer loyalty, reputation, and revenue.”

Horsager emphasised the importance of trust by reiterating that a leader who does not exhibit trust and integrity will not have a productive team. That a salesperson who does not exhibit trust will not have a successful career. That customers will not be loyal to a business if there is no trust in the service that is provided. Furthermore, Karlene Kerfoot concurred Horsager claims by saying,“In the end it’s not techniques that count. The leader’s ability to engender trust is what really matters. Without trust, people cannot listen and hear (Kerfoot, 2001, p.42).”

Over the next few weeks, we will look at the importance of trust in business and how does an individual or organisation build trust. We will share experiences of dishonesty, distrust and misuse of power and how those behaviours have impacted individual or organisations’ reputation.

One night whilst being a guest at a high-end hotel in a Caricom country, I was sitting on the bed writing a Prime the Pump article when I saw something crawling on the bed.

Immediately I reached for my phone, I took a couple pictures and then began recording. Subsequently I knocked the ‘insect’ off the bed and killed it. It was then that I discovered that it was bedbug. It was filled with blood. Immediately, I remembered one of my friends saying that each time he stays at a hotel he checks in the seams of the mattress and under the mattress for bedbugs. I proceeded to check and discovered several bedbugs. It was my first encounter with these inspects, so, I took pictures then telephoned receptionist.

A housekeeping supervisor took the call, apologised and was within my room shortly after. She apologised

profusely, said that the manager was not on shift but that usually when a guest complains about bedbugs that the guest is relocated. She said she will relocate me to another room and that the manager will contact me in the morning.

I was relocated to a smaller room with no view.

I was not pleased but expected that the housekeeping manager would rectify the problem….

Join us next week to learn how the housekeeping manager dealt with this incident and how his reaction impacted my opinion of the hotel.

David Horsager has developed a system with which he teaches leaders how to build the Eight Pillars of Trust. One of the pillars is compassion. “People put faith in those who care beyond themselves.”

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