Within the past few years, we have seen greater recognition that trust is the core of all meaningful relationships. Stephen M.R. Covey, author of The Speed of Trust, says that trust is the one thing that changes everything. It is the one thing, that if removed, will destroy the most successful business, the most influential leadership, the greatest friendship, the strongest character, and the deepest love. 39 Why did Covey include the word speed in the title of his book? He says that trust always affects two outcomes- speed and cost. When trust goes down, speed will also go down and costs will go up. Consider the influence of trust in personal selling. When the customer and the salesperson trust each other, they will usually find ways to form a productive relationship and buying decisions will be made without delay. If the trust level is low, the customer will likely be slow to make a buying decision. The response to the salesperson s proposal may be, I need a little more time to think about your proposal. 40 a Trust is a critical dimension of every productive team. Patrick Lencioni, author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, says the absence of trust is a major threat to team cohesiveness and productivity: This occurs when team members are reluctant to be vulnerable with one another and are unwilling to admit their mistakes, weaknesses or need for help. Without a certain comfort level among team members, a foundation of trust is impossible. 41 The ideal team environment encourages every member to engage in open debate about key issues. When team members do not openly air their opinions, inferior decisions are the result. 42 Many teams are characterized by great diversity. This is especially true of cross-functional teams staffed by a mix of specialists who represent different departments and job levels. Diverse teams are more likely to become dysfunctional because diverse membership can create communication problems. Jeffrey Polzer, Harvard professor, has examined the fit among team members and how to optimize it. He defines fit as interpersonal congruence. This is ... the degree to which members appraisals of one another are similar to their self-assessments on dimensions relevant to team functioning. 43 For example, if a team member sees himself as someone who is willing to share the credit for team success, do bothers see him the same way? Polzer s research has shown that high congruence improves the performance of diverse teams. QUESTIONS 1. Stephen M. R. Covey, author of The Speed of Trust, says that every employee in the organization should assume responsibility for building trust. Do you agree? Is this a realistio expectation? Explain. 2. Lets assume you are a member of a productive team that has received consider-able praise from top management. You learn that one member of the team has met with the manager who organized the team and taken credit for the team s success. You fear that this individuals behavior will damage the team s future productivity. What should you do to correct this problem? 3. Jeffrey T. Polzer has stated that sharing self-assessments and appraisals of one another through 360-degree feedback can help team members achieve interpersonal congruence. Do you agree with his recommendation? What steps can be taken to be sure the team members are prepared for this type of intervention
