I like to think of trust as a big bank account. All of us have one. As we function in our careers and relationships, we often find ourselves borrowing against someone else’s trust account. They do the same to us. How long a person stays a borrower or decides to close their account depends on how we manage it.
When I was a kid, my dad taught me that American cars were great and Japanese cars were junk. I believed that initially, but when some of my (American) cars growing up started to break down, that trust account got dangerously low. Then, on a Saturday evening in 1990 on the I-5 freeway in California, broke down in my 1985 Ford Bronco, drive shaft in hand, I closed my Bank of Trust With American Cars.
I leased a Honda Accord. Then I bought a Mazda Protégé. My mother-in-law said my father-in-law would never be caught dead in a Japanese car (ironically, today they drive a Nissan Rogue. They justify it because it was assembled in Franklin, TN). I didn’t care. In fact I’ve owned nothing but Japanese cars for over 30 years. My Bank of Trust of Japanese Cars has a huge balance.
Today though, while I still drive a Mazda 3 with 165K miles on it, I now have a Ram 1500 pickup. I opened up a new account at the Bank of American Cars and now I have a decent balance there too. I’m starting to trust Ram trucks.
As a loyal Southwest Airlines customer, people ask me if the holiday melt-down in 2022 made me lose trust in them. The answer is no. I’ve flown them nearly exclusively since 2000 and have had my share of travel trouble. In the long run though, there were far more deposits in my Southwest Airlines Bank account than withdrawals. I remain loyal. I trust Southwest Airlines.
If you’re wondering why people aren’t responding to you, your ideas, or anything remotely relating to you, it might be due to low amounts in the You Bank Accounts they have.
Kids not enthusiastic when you tell them for the umpteenth time, you’ll take them fishing? Your Dad Bank Account is probably overdrawn and in danger of closing.
Your employees roll their eyes when you tell them you’re going to employ the new techniques you learned in Mack’s management courses? Your Boss Bank Account is seriously low.
Trust is difficult to build. It requires sustained action in a positive direction. Trust is nearly impossible to rebuild. At a minimum, it’s twice as hard. Add in emotion and time and it’s a challenge.
This week, think about your accounts with others. Are you a bank in good standing?
