Trust is infinitely deep and difficult to fully define yet
we rely heavily upon it in every aspect of our lives. In recent months I've
come across a few definitions of trust that has deepened my understanding and
challenged me as a leader, as a team member, and as a Christian.
The first defines the relationship between our company and
our clients (local churches). It comes from the book The Brand Gap by Marty
Neumeier (slideshow). It says:
Trust = reliability + delight
Trust comes meeting and beating customer expectations
To succeed as a service provider of Church Management
Software it is not enough to simply offer a wide array of features or use the
latest technologies. We must prove ourselves trustworthy by providing reliable,
secure, stable, and scalable solutions and services. And we must delight our
clients through innovative product solutions, going above and beyond in
customer care and support, and nurturing our growing user community.
Admittedly, there have been times where we have fallen short
of our client's expectations and our personal/professional expectations as
well. However, I am very blessed to be working with a highly talented, committed
and passionate group of individuals that love technology and love the local
church. We may still stub our toe on occasion but we understand what is expected of
us and strive to exceed those expectations on a daily basis.
The second definition pertains to how individuals and teams
relate to each other. This definition comes from The Leader's Handbook by Peter
Scholtes. It says:
Trust is the combination of competency and caring
Do I believe
you are competent and capable in your position? Do I believe that you care
about me?
It's important to understand that as a leader, or just as a
team member, that competency of position or genuine caring alone is not enough
to establish trust. You must consider both factors together. Having this understanding
causes you to re-evaluate how you communicate and interact with others.
Ultimately I believe reinforcing this concept within our company has had a huge
positive impact on our culture and our efficiency.
Lastly is the definition as it relates to our Creator. It says that:
At the intersection of Faith and Truth comes Trust
While this is certainly not a new definition I found it to
be eloquently explained in Erwin McManus' book Soul Cravings. Again, if we take
each in isolation, faith and truth are not enough to establish trust. For
example, no one has ever died for their faith unless they firmly believed that
what they were dying for was "true". Now of course what they believe to be "true"
may in fact turn out to be false later but at that moment they believed in it
wholeheartedly. Had they not then they would not have given their life so
readily.
And as Erwin points out it is not enough to know what it is
true. We need to know the One who is true. We must put our faith in Him and
then place our trust in Him that He guide our paths.
God bless,
Curtis S