As human beings we operate in a universe of language; speaking, writing and gesturing in order to coordinate our behavior and actions with each other.
Within language are principles of operation that are universally and sometimes culturally defined so that we can understand what is going on in the world around us.
In my world, knowing means acting automatically and appropriately, while understanding means being able to converse or write about something while perhaps not fully knowing.
Much of what makes Western cultures operate effectively is the notion of trust. We build networks of trust with spouses, children, parents and extended family, business associates and co-workers, spiritual leaders, politicians, businesses & professions that we frequent in our daily routines.
Trust is the expectation that the other party will perform as they have indicated they would. We have, without firsthand experience, assessed that they are able to perform as they have promised. Trust is not a simple thing. The consequences of a breach of trust often cause breakdowns that are far reaching and serious.
Those who we deem untrustworthy due to a breach of trust often lose our business forever. For those with a career in business it is vitally important to nurture & build trust and to repair damaged trust when it occurs.
It can be as simple as being late for a meeting (a small breach of trust in our culture – but not necessarily in others) or as criminal as taking advantage of your clients’ trust as in the experience Bernie Madoff’s clients had with their investment advisor. He, of course, was a fraud right from the beginning. As the Russian proverb famously appropriated by former President Reagan states, “Doveryai, no proveryai” which translates to “trust but verify.”
That brings us to the notion of integrity. For me, integrity is doing what I said I would do (or not do) in a timely fashion and in such a way that is understood by the folks with whom I am having a conversation. The investment world is filled with conversations that have integrity, thereby making the instances of its absence all the more egregious.
I deal in millions of dollars in investment transactions for clients buying or selling securities as needed and as I promised them. Checks are both received and disbursed seamlessly. The investment business can be a thing of beauty when it works with trust and integrity. For the most part, much of what occurs between businesses and their clientele in the Western world is based on mutual trust and assumed integrity.
Of course, with trust comes the risk of betrayal. This is why we become so distressed when we are promised things that never materialize. Broken trust and a perceived lack of integrity are the stumbling blocks that prevent the effective coordination of action that allows society to flourish and prosper.
Those who seem to be more effective in society have become competent at building conversations of trust, avoiding breaches of trust and maintaining their integrity through thick and thin. If you are smart about whom you trust, if you have a practice of verification and if you never let an act of betrayal unravel your world, you will be assessed as competent in building and maintaining trusting relationships. Those who act with trust and demonstrate integrity attract others who do the same. Those who do not are often promptly excluded from participating at a higher level in our society.
I have not written anything new or unique in this matter, but sometimes it’s useful to verbalize those things we know to be true so that we might become a little more aware of these notions in our everyday activities. Trust and integrity are already part of who many of us are and reflect the way in which we operate in the world. Keep up the good work!
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