An overview of the TRUST Equation from the work of David Maister

1. Trustworthiness
=
Credibility + Reliability +
Intimacy
Self-orientation
 Credibility relates to our words and is revealed in our credentials and
honesty
 Reliability relates to our actions and is revealed by keeping our
promises
 Intimacy relates to our emotions; people feel safe talking about difficult
agendas
 Self-orientation relates to our caring and is revealed in our focus (us or
them?)
The TRUST Equation

2.  A focus on the Client for the client’s sake, not just as a means to
one’s own ends.
 A collaborative approach to relationships. A willingness to work
together, creating both joint goals and joint approaches to getting
there.
 A medium to long term relationship perspective, not a short-term
transactional focus. The most profitable relationships for both parties
are those where multiple transactions over time are assumed in the
approach to each transaction.
 A habit of being transparent in all one’s dealings. Transparency
increases credibility, and lowers self-orientation, by a willingness to
keep no secrets.
The Four TRUST Principles

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 Don’t tell lies, or even exaggerate. Ever.
 Love your topic.
 Introduce your clients to each other.
 When you don’t know, say so.
 Credentials: don’t try too hard (eg letters after your
name on business card)
 Relax, you know more than you think.
 Do your homework on the client; make sure its up to
date.
 Don’t show off.

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 Make specific commitments around small things
 Send meeting materials in advance
 Make sure meetings have clear goals (not just
agendas)
 Liaise and negotiate, confirm

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 Don’t be intimidated, or use intimidation – it is always
compensating for something.
 Business is about people, don’t fall for the ‘business is
business’ mantra.
 Engage the person, be alert to their interests.
 Repeat often: “Really, what happened next?” and
“Interesting, what’s behind that?”

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 Self-consciousness
 A need to appear on top of things
 A desire to look intelligent
 Preoccupied with a long do-list
 An inclination to jump to the solution
 A need to win the argument, be right, be seen to be right
 A desire to be seen to be adding value
 Fears: of not knowing, not having an intelligent answer, of
being rejected

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 A tendency to relate stories to themselves of their
experience
 A need to appear clever, witty
 An inability to provide clear direct answers
 An unwillingness to confess lack of knowledge
 Name dropping
 Reciting qualifications
 Tendency to want to have the last word
 Closed questions early on
 Passive listening
 Treating the client as a source of data

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 Opposite of all previous
 Asking the client what is behind a certain issue
 Focus on defining the problem, not guessing the solution
 Learning to tell the client’s story before we write our own
 Adapt to the client’s culture re terminology, style, formats,
hours etc.
 Resisting the clients invitation to offer a solution too early
on
 Be available
 Anticipate needs and respond
 Communicate
 Communicate