I’ve taken the title of my inaugural blog from a line from one of my favourite songs and bands. ‘Going Underground’ by The Jam was written by Paul Weller in 1982 but the context of this single line is relevant to a key decision I have just made and another which most of us are about to.
Next week the nation decides. Every political party is currently pulling out the stops right now to articulate why we should trust them, and of course distrust all the others. On May 7th we have the freedom to cast our vote and hope that whichever flavour the new Government turns out to be, they keep their promises and then earn/maintain our trust.
Unfortunately, if our trust in the new Government should wane at any time, well that’s tough. Aside from a calamitous failure and a vote of no confidence, we have to wait for the 5 year term to run its course before we can reconsider who we would like to run the country. It feels a little one way, political parties need to trust us to vote for them once in a while, whilst our trust in them is required every day of our lives.
In the world of management consulting, trust is a vital attribute to establish. Sponsors need to trust you in the first place to invite you into their business to deliver any required changes, but equally important, the client teams with whom you work need to trust you in order to positively commit to whatever change journey you are supporting. Even after you successfully open the door, there is no luxury of a 5 year timespan before your performance is formally reviewed. Trust has to be established, developed and sustained through every interaction and project deliverable. In business, trust is undoubtedly a two way thing and more critically is under constant review from your client who has the ultimate freedom to terminate your contract should this become broken in their view.
Having worked as an independent Operational Excellence Consultant for around 10 years, I recently made the decision to join the ranks of the permanently employed with Curium Solutions.
My professional relationship with the business stretches back 3 years as an Associate during which we have had a number of conversations about more permanent arrangements. I recently joked that I have just completed a 3 year assessment process to secure my job but key to my decision was again trust. This trust is a 2 way feeling and is anchored in the core values of the business with which I feel completely aligned:
- People
- Personal Development
- Enjoyment
- Integrity with Credibility
I consistently see these values effortlessly on display from everyone in the team I have now joined and I am understandably comfortable with this decision.
I’d like to think that my decision next week will result in the same level of confidence and repayment of trust, but I’m not so sure it will….
