Learning about Trust

Warren Buffet once said, “Trust is like the air we breathe. When it’s present, no one notices. When it’s absent, everyone notices.” This quote was in the introduction to a six-hour training I was in this past Thursday at work. The training, a Franklin Covey course, was titled, Speed of Trust: Foundations. In the course, the key concept proposed that trust within an organization, government or business decreases costs and increases results; and further, the lack of trust produces the opposite results. Paired with these concepts, though sometimes more on the sidelines, was the thought that this same principle applies not just to business but also to personal relationships. The objective of the course was to identify 13 key behaviors of “high trust” and discuss practical ways to apply them. Ideally, I think the goal of management is that those behaviors would become more prevalent in the work environment. Overall, it was a good course. Retailing at $300 per person, I think there may be a better way to improve trust.

The 13 behaviors identified, speak to both an individuals character and their competence. For example, a few of those behaviors include: Talk Straight (be honest), Demonstrate Respect, Right Wrongs (apologize and make amends/restitution), Get Better (continuously work on improving yourself), Practice Accountability, and Listen First. In the materials and during the course there was nothing that mentioned God, the Bible, or His Son. I didn’t find Scripture references in any of my materials. As I went through the it Scripture came to my mind… Matthew 5:37a, “But let your word ‘yes’ be ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ be ‘no.’” Romans 12:10b, “Outdo one another in showing honor.” Psalm 34:14, “Turn away from evil and do what is good; seek peace and pursue it.” 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”

So here is my better way. Instead of classes and courses on trust, ethics, principles and more, we should just hire a Bible teacher each government agency. Give everyone a Bible, and let the teacher talk about Jesus, encourage people to live and act like Jesus, and show people how to follow Him. Cheaper. More effective. And the material doesn’t change with each new buzz word and reworked idea. Likely, probably not. Would it work—absolutely what other material has a 2000+ year track record of drastically changing peoples lives?