NOVEMBER 13, 2020
For some of us old Baby-boomers, you might remember the old TV series (1957-1963) “Who do you Trust?” It was a game show where married pairs of contestants were asked to answer questions with the husband deciding whether he or she would answer. (Remember, this was the early sixties so roles have changed today) The original emcee was Edgar Bergen but was later replaced by our former Nebraska icon, Johnny Carson. My mother, being a stickler on the English language, told me it should be “Whom do you Trust?” Regardless, it conjured up the word TRUST and who might have the best or truthful answer to a certain question.
Trust is also one of UNICO’s core values. (The others being Professional, Positive, and Team Player.) As you think of the word “Trust,” think of some of the often used phrases regarding Trust; “Trust but verify,” “A friend you can trust,” “I don’t trust you,” and “In God We Trust.” Personally, I used to trust much more when I was younger because in building strong relationships, you had to take a risk that there could and should be reciprocal trust. Now I test before I trust because you need to know and understand others before you can fully trust them. “Can I trust you?” is what we constantly ask ourselves. But first think; “Are YOU trustworthy?” Trust begets trust!
When it comes to trust, I hope you also think about these following statements as they are what we all deal with everyday of our lives. “Do you trust what you say?” (and “Can I trust what you say?”); “Do you trust what you see?” (We all see things differently) “Do you trust what you hear?” The answer may not always be the same depending on who you are talking with or hearing from. Can I trust what you tell me is the truth and not just gossip? Yes, it may be the truth as YOU know it but is it really the truth? You would like to trust that everything said and heard is correct but many times it isn’t that way. Use some common sense when it comes to trusting others. Don’t believe everything you hear or see. (Like watching the news or social media) You just may not understand that often there are two sides to the story and the truth may lie somewhere in the middle. Are others looking to take you down or cheat you? If there is no integrity involved or if someone is doing it out of their own self-interest, then you may want to be on guard.
All good relationships are built on TRUST. A good reputation; along with integrity, accountability, and responsibility, are necessary for building good relationships and trust. Knowledge alone may not help you in figuring out who to trust. It takes wisdom and that may include checking in with others YOU trust. If you are mentoring or being mentored in life, is it someone you can trust with your life? If not, go find another pond to play in. Remember, every team or organization needs a leader they can trust. A leader that they can trust to do the right thing for the entire operation or team and not someone who is in it to build their own fiefdom. It is hard to trust someone who has their own interests ahead of the team.
Trusting takes wisdom, self-awareness, courage, and love. Once you have these four elements, you might be open minded to let others into your world and conversely, into theirs. “Who do YOU trust?”
Elevator Guy