One of the keys to being successful as a project manager is
having relationships built on trust. It is one of the key ingredients to
successful relationships in life and business relationships are no exception. We
are rarely successful in life without that core tenant as a corner stone to our
relationships. Trust allows for mistakes to occur without suspicion of an
underlying motif. Trust suggests that the information provided is the best
information available and that there isn’t anything hidden or held back. There
are two primary qualities that build trust.
Integrity
In his book, The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz terms it “Be
impeccable with your word”. Another way to say it is do what you say you would do.
All the documents that are delivered on most projects are moment in time
deliverables. We write out the processes, procedures, and guidelines that
everyone on the project will follow. It includes when we will provide
information, what information we will provide, and when it will be provided. Those
agreements about how the project will be governed, is the responsibility of the
project manager. They are responsible for ensuring that everyone on the team, client,
and team member alike, are aligned with how the project will flow. When
projects last years, this critical component may change over time. It is
equally as important that the documentation that says how we will conduct
business is kept up to date. This allows new team members to join and
understand how to integrate with the rest of the team.
Just as everything is built one moment, one segment at a
time, so it is with trust. It isn’t just the project governance that matters. Trust
is built on showing up on time for meetings, by delivering on action items when
you say you will, by reviewing changes to documents prior to the changes being
made, by eliminating surprises whenever possible, and by simply being in
integrity with all that you do and all that you deliver for your client. It is
also by using facts, not suppositions, when relaying information. It is by
eliminating hearsay through the questions that you ask, by ensuring you are
working from the lowest common denominator, and by ensuring that you have the
facts that are available at the time. One of the things that caused me problems
early on in my career was by conveying information without the facts that were
available. Learning to ask the questions was the biggest lesson that I learned.
The saying is “don’t make stuff up”. Don’t assume anything in your
communication with your team or your client. Ensure you have the facts
regarding the information you are conveying and, if not, do not convey anything
until you are able to back it up with the facts.
One of the pitfalls of being a project manager is coming from
a place where you must have the answers, you must know because everyone looks
to you to have the answers. The result can be that you begin to miss asking the
questions because you are coming from a place of knowing rather that a place of
not knowing. Thinking you know what is happening based on past projects or past
events can sometimes blind you to what is occurring on the project you are now
leading. Blinded by the past, you may fail to ask the questions to understand
the present situation. Staying in a place where I don’t know, where I don’t
have the answers and am curious about getting to a place of understating has
been a successful approach for me. Being a master at asking all the possible
questions to ensure that the information that you are receiving is also not
based on preconceived notions is a skill worth developing.
Building trust starts with doing what you say you are doing,
the other is to say what you are doing. In other words, when things must change
to fit the changing circumstances, explaining what you are doing because of the
circumstances is equally as important as continuing to do what you said you
would.
Don’t See Intention in Others Mistakes/Don’t Make
Assumptions
Another core tenant in building trust is coming from a place
of trust. “Don’t Make Assumptions” is the second agreement from the book, The
Four Agreements. The foundation for building trust with others is coming from a
place of trust in them. Rather than seeing their actions as containing ill
intent or making assumptions about what they are working toward, start with the
facts associated with the circumstances and have a conversation about the
situation. Whenever your come from is fear or distrust, you will receive the same
in return.
Trust Yourself
