Is Your Trust Triangle Wobbling?

(Credit: Geralt/Pixabay)

How do you go from a "toxic pirate culture that included numerous allegations of sexism, ethical corner-cutting and a take-no-prisoners approach*"  to a company customers and employees can trust? How do you rebuild broken trust?

I'm talking about Uber, although you can pretty well pick most any entity right now; the story would be the same. We are in the midst of a cultural crisis where the very foundation of our organization is crumbling. At that foundation is trust. Trust has been broken or in some cases destroyed as we seek to find what right looks like.

The intent of this blog is not to spotlight any topic for the topics are as numerous as the stars in the sky. I want to talk about how we move forward. How we come together and talk about the issues facing us. How we build or rebuild trust.

As Dr. Frances Frei mentions in her recent TedTalk, "trust is the foundation of everything we do." Dr. Frei's favorite trait is "redemption." She believes that "there is a better version of us around every corner." She has "seen firsthand how organizations and communities and individuals change at breathtaking speed." My hope is that the wildland fire service be the example of what right looks to other organizations across the globe. I know it is a big task, but change starts with me...and you.

In her talk, Dr. Frei discusses the three components of trust—authenticity, logic, and empathy—and gives a prescription for each. When any one of these components "wobble," trust is threatened. I won't go into the specifics of her talk. Instead, I challenge you to watch the video by yourself or with your team and develop a plan to be the change you want to see.

Now is the time for those with moral courage to embrace change and build cultures of trust within their sphere of influence. I am a firm believer that cultural change is a grassroots effort that affects the larger whole.

* Source: "Uber’s Culture Fixer, Frances Frei, is Leaving the Company." Recode. February 27, 2018.

Wildland Fire Leadership Challenge - Digging a Little Deeper

• Check out the 2017 Wildland Fire Leadership Campaign - Leading Authentically Other campaigns have great references, too.

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About the Author: Pam McDonald is a writer/editor for BLM Wildland Fire Training and Workforce Development and member of the NWCG Leadership Subcommittee. The expressions are those of the author.