Building trust | James Davis | TEDxUSU

Summary

In this insightful script, the speaker delves into the critical role of trust in business success, highlighting its foundations in relationships. The exploration of trust's essence leads to the identification of three key drivers: ability, benevolence, and integrity. Through personal anecdotes and historical references, the speaker illustrates how these factors shape our willingness to be vulnerable and take risks, ultimately building trust and fostering a more harmonious society.

Takeaways

• 🤝 Relationships are the core of business success, driving performance, efficiency, and effectiveness.
• 🔍 Trust is identified as the essence of all relationships, but it lacks a clear definition and is used and understood in various ways.
• 🌟 World leaders and companies are often ranked based on their influence and trustworthiness, but this doesn't always correlate with moral values.
• 📚 The speaker and colleagues embarked on a research journey to understand the concept of trust due to its ambiguous nature.
• 🚀 Trust is described as a willingness to be vulnerable and take risks with another party, highlighting the importance of vulnerability and risk in building trust.
• 🏔 A personal story about paragliding illustrates the quick judgment of trust based on appearance and behavior, emphasizing the role of snap judgments in trust decisions.
• 🧭 Trust is influenced by three main factors: ability, benevolence, and integrity, which are perceived differently by each individual.
• 🛡 Ability refers to the competence and capability of a person to perform a task, which is crucial for trust but is situation-specific.
• ❤️ Benevolence is about caring for others, and it plays a significant role in building trust as people are more likely to trust those who genuinely care about them.
• 🏅 Integrity is about having and living by a set of values that others agree with, and it is a key driver of trust as people trust those who are consistent with their values.
• 🌐 Trust is not just about personal traits but is also influenced by societal and cultural factors, as shown by the varying levels of trust around the world.

Q & A

What was the main topic of discussion among the professors 20 years ago?

The main topic of discussion was the essence of success in business and the role of relationships in driving company performance, efficiency, and effectiveness.

What did the professors conclude as the essence of relationships in business?

The professors concluded that trust is the essence of relationships in business.

Why did the professors decide to research trust?

They decided to research trust because they found that there was no clear definition of it and it was used and defined in myriad ways, which they didn't understand.

What did the professors find when they started looking at world leaders in terms of trust?

They found that the ranking of the most influential leaders did not necessarily reflect trustworthiness, as Adolf Hitler was ranked higher than Abraham Lincoln and Benjamin Franklin.

How do companies and brands build trust with their customers according to the script?

Companies and brands build trust by demonstrating reliability and consistency in their products and services, as well as by creating a sense of connection and care for their customers.

What is the definition of trust given in the script?

Trust is defined as a willingness to be vulnerable, which involves choosing to take risks and be vulnerable to another party.

What is the significance of the paragliding story in the script?

The paragliding story illustrates the concept of trust in action, showing how the perception of a person's ability, benevolence, and integrity can influence one's decision to trust them with their safety.

What are the three major drivers of trust as discussed in the script?

The three major drivers of trust are ability, benevolence, and integrity.

How is trust situation-specific according to the script?

Trust is situation-specific because one might trust a person in one context (e.g., paragliding) but not in another (e.g., fixing a car engine).

What is the role of integrity in building trust?

Integrity plays a crucial role in building trust as it involves having a set of values that others agree with and living by those values, which others can observe and believe in.

How can improving the perception of one's ability, benevolence, and integrity impact relationships and society?

Improving these perceptions can lead to stronger relationships, reduced friction, and an overall increase in trustworthiness, contributing to a happier and more harmonious society.

Outlines

00:00

🤝 The Essence of Trust in Business Success

The speaker opens the discussion on the critical role of relationships in business success, emphasizing that trust is the foundation of these relationships. They recount a conversation with colleagues about the essence of success, leading to the conclusion that trust is the key driver of company performance and efficiency. The speaker expresses the excitement of discovering a poorly understood concept ripe for research. They delve into the ambiguity of the term 'trust,' highlighting the lack of a clear definition and its varied use across different contexts. The narrative then shifts to examining world leaders and their influence, questioning the implications of trust based on their rankings, and moves on to explore the concept of trust in the context of consumer-brand relationships, using examples like Nike, Coca-Cola, and Southwest Airlines. The summary concludes with the definition of trust as a willingness to be vulnerable and take risks with another party.

05:01

🧗‍♂️ Trust and Risk-Taking: A Paragliding Analogy

The speaker illustrates the concept of trust through a personal anecdote about paragliding in Wyoming, where they had to quickly assess and decide to trust a stranger, John, with their lives. The story serves as a metaphor for trust-building, where the speaker and their fiancée had to gauge John's ability, benevolence, and integrity within moments. The speaker humorously notes the importance of appearance and demeanor in forming an initial impression of trustworthiness. They also touch on the idea that trust is situation-specific, as they would not trust John to fix a car engine despite his apparent expertise in paragliding. The summary highlights the three major drivers of trust: ability, benevolence, and integrity, and how these perceptions influence one's willingness to take risks.

10:01

🛡️ Benevolence and Integrity: Deepening Trust

Continuing the discussion on trust, the speaker delves deeper into the second driver, benevolence, using the paragliding instructor John as an example. They explore the idea that trust is not just about ability but also about whether someone genuinely cares for the well-being of others. The speaker contrasts figures known for their benevolence, like Abraham Lincoln and Walt Whitman, with those lacking it, such as the Roman Emperor Caligula. The third driver, integrity, is introduced as having and living by a set of values that others agree with and respect. The speaker uses Adolf Hitler's 'Mein Kampf' as an example of a belief system that, while not universally accepted, demonstrated Hitler's integrity to his followers. The summary underscores the importance of caring and shared values in building trust beyond mere competence.

15:02

🏆 Trust as a Catalyst for a Better Society

In the final paragraph, the speaker wraps up the discussion by reiterating the three factors that drive trust: ability, benevolence, and integrity. They reflect on their paragliding experience as a testament to the power of trust, as both they and their fiancée took the leap due to their trust in John. The speaker concludes with a call to action, urging the audience to focus on enhancing these three aspects to improve relationships and societal happiness. The summary highlights the practical application of trust principles in everyday life and the potential for a more harmonious society built on a foundation of trust.

Keywords

💡Relationships

Relationships in the context of the video refer to the connections between businesses, employees, bosses, customers, and suppliers. The script emphasizes that relationships are the essence of business success, as they drive performance, efficiency, and effectiveness. The discussion about what constitutes success in business led to the realization that strong relationships are the most critical factor.

💡Trust

Trust is defined in the video as the willingness to be vulnerable and take risks with another party. It is identified as the core of all relationships and a key driver of business success. The video explores the concept of trust, its importance in business, and how it can be established and maintained through the perceptions of ability, benevolence, and integrity.

💡Ability

Ability, in the video, is one of the three major drivers of trust. It pertains to the capability of a person to perform what they say they can do. The script uses the example of the paragliding instructor, John, who demonstrates his ability through his appearance and experience, thus building trust with the speaker.

💡Benevolence

Benevolence is another driver of trust, which is about caring for others. The video illustrates this through the connection the speaker felt with John, the paragliding instructor, who showed that he cared about the safety and comfort of his clients, which in turn fostered trust.

💡Integrity

Integrity is described as having and living by a set of values that others agree with. The video uses historical figures like Adolf Hitler and Thomas Moore to contrast the trustworthiness that comes from integrity. While Hitler had followers who believed in his values, Moore's unwavering commitment to his principles made him a figure of trust.

💡Vulnerability

Vulnerability is a key aspect of trust, as it involves the risk of being open to potential harm or loss. The video uses the paragliding scenario to illustrate how trust involves being vulnerable, as the speaker had to trust John with their safety.

💡Influence

Influence, as discussed in the video, is related to the concept of trust, particularly in the context of world leaders. The script mentions a ranking of the most influential leaders, which raises questions about the correlation between trust and influence, and how trust can be influenced by various factors.

💡Propensity

Propensity, in the video, refers to the innate willingness to trust and take risks. It is mentioned as a factor that varies among individuals and can be influenced by geography, family, upbringing, and society. The video uses the Adelman Trust Barometer to illustrate the varying levels of trust around the world.

💡Perception

Perception plays a crucial role in the formation of trust, as it is how individuals interpret the ability, benevolence, and integrity of others. The video emphasizes that trust is built on one's perception of these attributes in others, such as the speaker's perception of John's ability to paraglide safely.

💡Risk

Risk is the possibility of harm or loss associated with taking a certain action. In the video, risk is intrinsically linked to trust, as trusting someone involves the willingness to take risks and be vulnerable. The paragliding example highlights the risks involved in trusting another person with one's safety.

💡Values

Values in the video are the principles or standards that guide an individual's behavior. Integrity is closely tied to values, as it involves living by and adhering to one's values. The script contrasts figures like Hitler and Moore to illustrate how values can influence trustworthiness and the perception of integrity.

Highlights

20 years ago, the speaker and colleagues discussed the essence of business success and identified relationships as the key factor.

Relationships between businesses, employees, bosses, customers, and suppliers drive company performance, efficiency, and effectiveness.

The speaker and colleagues concluded that trust is the essence of all relationships.

A lack of clear definition for trust in literature led to an exciting research opportunity.

Rankings of the most influential world leaders raised questions about trust and its meaning.

Trusted brands like Nike, Coca-Cola, and Southwest Airlines were listed, prompting questions about what trust in a brand means.

The speaker questioned how consumers know they can trust these brands with their health and safety.

Trust is defined as a willingness to be vulnerable and take risks with another party.

A personal story about paragliding in Wyoming illustrates the concept of trust and vulnerability.

The speaker's engagement with a paragliding instructor named John highlights the decision to trust based on snap judgment.

The speaker discusses 'propensity' as an innate willingness to trust and take risks, influenced by various factors.

Three major drivers of trust were identified: ability, benevolence, and integrity.

Ability is situation-specific and not generalizable, as illustrated by the John example.

Benevolence is about caring for others beyond one's own gratification.

Integrity involves having and living by a set of values that others agree with.

Historical figures like Thomas Moore exemplify integrity and trustworthiness.

Building trust involves improving perceptions of one's ability, benevolence, and integrity.

The speaker concludes that building trust leads to a happier society.

Transcripts

about 20 years ago some colleagues and I

were sitting in an office or business

professors and we're talking about what

it takes to be a successful business we

were talking about the essence of

success and what causes success and the

more we talked about it the more we

realize the thing that causes business

success more than anything else are

relationships relationships between

businesses between employees and bosses

between companies and blend and

customers between suppliers and

companies it was relationships that

happened to be the essence that drives

company performance efficiency

effectiveness and we more we talked we

decided we've got to understand what

these relationships are and what really

drives these relationships we talked

about the relationships we came to the

conclusion that the essence of

relationships is trust it's trust we got

quite exciting without all man that's

the essence of all relationships we got

to find out what this trust thing is we

started reading literature we started

looking up what is trust and what we

found was a mess

there was no clear definition of trust

it was used in a myriad of different

ways and defined and in a myriad of

different ways we didn't understand

trust now as researchers that God is

kind of excited there's an area that we

can really research but we found that

people said I trust you I trust you what

does that mean we didn't know we didn't

know so we began to to investigate what

Trust really is and we thought it would

start by looking at world leaders so the

most influential leaders in world

history obviously if you're influential

world leader you must be trusted Rankine

calm on the internet ranked world

leaders the most influential leaders of

all time Alexander the Great was ranked

as number one it's amazing that Napoleon

is ranked number three ahead of George

Washington Abraham Lincoln and Winston

Churchill

amazingly Adolf Hitler is ranked number

17 ahead of Thomas Jefferson Benjamin

Franklin how does that reflect on trust

what does that mean for trust does that

mean that Hitler is more trusted than

Abraham Lincoln what is trust and what

drives Trust in fact we started looking

at companies and an entrepreneur com

lists the most trusted brands the most

trusted companies and these are some of

the most trusted brands and many of

these we use this means we trust Nike we

trust coca-cola we trust Southwest

Airlines how do you know when you trust

Southwest Airlines with your luggage

they're not going to lose it how do you

know when you pick up that NYX can of

coke it's not going to make you sick how

do you know when you open up a license

agreement from Apple this is amazing I

give I talk about trust all over the

world and I've asked over and over again

how many of you read the License

Agreement before you agree this is a

license agreement for iTunes it's 229

pages I'm not gonna even ask how many

have read it because most of us just

agree to it we don't know what we've

agreed to but we've agreed to it why

because we can trust Apple we can trust

art we can trust them so what is trust

trust is a willingness to be vulnerable

you choose to take risk and be

vulnerable to the other party that means

if I say I trust you it means I'm

willing to be vulnerable to you I'm

willing to take that risk its

vulnerability and risk that drive trust

so how does this work

let me start with a story my fiance and

I were driving in Wyoming in Jackson

Jackson City

Jackson Hole Wyoming and we looked up on

the mountain and there was a ski resort

and people were jumping off the mountain

and paragliding off the mountain these

are the Tetons these are little guys

these are real mountains and we looked

up there and thought should we should we

and rad we we thought let's give it a

shot and we drove over there all right

and we go up to the business and say all

right tell us about paragliding first

person we saw was this guy right here

John John comes up and basically says

I'm going to take you we're gonna jump

off the mountain together now you don't

have any time you've got to make a snap

judgment and there were my fiancee and I

were looking we looked at this guy says

we really want to take that risk do we

really want to be vulnerable to this guy

I got a little little sidebar here when

I prepared this TED talk I had to get

him his image get his permission to use

the image in the in this TED talk he had

to take a risk in me it was it was fun I

turned the tables not a lot not a lot

different than jumping off a mountain so

and so the bottom line is is here we are

and we had to look at John do we trust

him we're trusting him with our lives

we're gonna jump off a mountain with

this guy am I willing to be vulnerable

to him what drives my willingness to

take a risk in John well the first thing

that drives trust is something called

propensity a propensity to take to trust

a propensity to take on that

vulnerability and risk everybody

everybody is born with a propensity to

take risk it's driven by geography is

driven by family is survive upbringing

is driven by society

Adelman Trust Barometer is on the

internet and they went around the world

and they found different levels of trust

throughout the world the red areas on

the map or areas that don't have as

good trust as the blue areas and so is

it all driven by our upbringing is it

all driven by our family I can tell you

know because the family came up while my

fiancee and I were talking to John

it was amazing here they were from the

same town from the same home the same

family and some members of the family

said no way I'm not going to jump off

that mountain other members of the

family said let's do this thing so I

know it we know it's more than

propensity we know it's more than

propensity it's more than just that

innate willingness to trust and take

risks that we're born with what we found

in our research are there are three

major drivers to trust three drivers

three reasons we trust and the amazing

thing is it's our perception of that

company it's our perception of that

other person that that drives these

drivers the first of the three drivers

is ability does that person can that

person do what they say they can do are

they able to perform what they say they

can perform do they have that ability

alright there's John all right there he

is does he have the ability well he

comes out and he's wearing that black

helmet got unshaven he's got that jump

off the mountain look yeah and I gotta

tell you I looked at him and I thought

you know if he were wearing a pink

helmet or a yellow helmet I wouldn't

believe it but he's wearing a black

helmet he's got the swagger he looks

like he's jumped off a mountain before

and I said to him I said John have you

done this before he says yeah he says

I've done it for 20 years and he said

Isis he deaths in that time any broken

bones and he said no 20 years safe Oh

John's got the ability he's got the

ability I began to believe in John now

here's something funny about a

it's situation-specific

what I trust John to fix the engine in

my car John doesn't look like a guy that

could fix my engine I wouldn't trust

John to fix the engine in my car

he could jump off a mountain he had that

ability so it's true ability is not

generalizable it's specific to the thing

that you're trusting them to do I would

trust John to jump off a mountain not

fix my car okay ability I will trust

them if they can do what they say they

will do okay if they're able to do it

the second driver is benevolence do they

care about me now here's John I know he

can jump off the mountain but man I'm

telling you what I saw those paragliders

coming down and they were corkscrewing

down and I saw some pretty dang green

people after they got off the mountain

and I knew John could cause me a lot of

discomfort

you know we'd survive but I might not

wish I'd survived I and so does John

care about me does John care and it was

interesting because we talked to him and

I got I began to feel like yeah we began

to connect a little bit I think we began

to connect and and John I felt like

cared about me now here's the

interesting thing here if they care

about me it's not driven by their Eagle

okay they don't care about me for their

own gratification they really care about

me and if they really care about me I'm

more apt to trust a couple examples here

of people it that were known for their

caring Abraham Lincoln once said to ease

another's heartache is to forget one's

own he cared about people a contemporary

of Abraham Lincoln was Walt Whitman they

and in their writings they kind of

blended each other's names very often in

their writings and Walt Whitman once

said you know Abraham Lincoln is my man

but more importantly I am Abraham

Lincoln's man

he believed in the benevolence of

Abraham Lincoln and people have followed

Abraham Lincoln did so yeah he had

ability but they they care to heat they

sense that Abraham Lincoln cared about

them the amazing thing is if it's all I

have his ability and nobody evelyn s--

i'm i I'm an assassin assassins have

loss of ability and they don't really

care

Abraham Lincoln cared one example of an

assassin Caligula Caligula raised by his

uncle he's uncle wanted two people to

share the emperor role role in Rome the

first thing Clegg he did it was killing

his cousin killers kill the competition

so that he was the sole leader he

drained the National Treasury one time

he was in the Coliseum and they ran out

of criminals to put put with the Lions

so he just grabbed some spectators and

put them down there as well he was not a

man with a lot of benevolence people

feared him as a result you couldn't

trust him you couldn't trust him ability

and benevolence drive your willingness

to take risk but there's one more factor

that factor is integrity integrity is

having a set of values that other people

agree with you live by those values and

other people agree with those values now

let's go back to Adolf Hitler if you

know the history of Adolf Hitler a of

Hitler in the 1930s served a little time

in jail and while he was in jail he

wrote a book called mine Kampf my

struggle in that book Adolf Hitler laid

out his values his belief system now

most of us wouldn't agree with those

values in that belief system believe me

that book was a best-seller in in Nazi

Germany and there were people that

believed in his values they believed he

had integrity and believe me Adolph he

lived his values we wouldn't believed in

his values and so we wouldn't trust

Hitler but there were people it did

integrity means I have a set of values I

live those values and you trust me

because of those values and you believe

in those values in other words if you

say you're going to be there you're

going to be there if you say you're

going to be honest you're honest if you

say you're going to be trustworthy

courteous you you will be and you agree

with it not driven by ego it's real

three factors then drive trust Thomas

Moore was known for his integrity he was

known for his integrity he once said we

speak of principles but if the weather

turns nasty you up your anchor and move

to where the weather is more calm and

the fishing is better Thomas Moore lived

his principles if you go to the Tower of

London there's a small church in the

back corner and Thomas Moore's body is

in the floor of that church somewhere

he stood up against the King of England

cuz he didn't agree with the King of

England and while everybody else changed

their values to match the King Thomas

More did not he stood by his values he

gave his life for his values and his

principles Thomas Moore was a guy you

could believe he lived his values Thomas

Moore could be trusted because he lived

his values the bottom line three factors

three factors drive trust yeah there's

John again I'm not finished with him

three factors drive trust ability

benevolence and integrity and it's your

perception it's your perception and

there's John and there I am am I going

to jump from the mountain am I gonna

jump from the mountain unconsciously I'm

thinking ability benevolence and

integrity did I jump yeah I jumped

I jumped yeah it was great I survived I

don't know that I'd have jumped if I

couldn't believe him if I wouldn't

believe him if I wouldn't trust me I

don't know if I could have jumped as

importantly my fiancee jumped we jumped

together and it was phenomenal if you

want to improve your relationships if

you want to reduce your friction if you

want to improve people's perception of

your trustworthiness build their

perception of your ability benevolence

and integrity and you will build trust

and believe me we will have a happier

Society thank you