If you are over 40, you will recall the comedic genius of Rodney Dangerfield. He coined the term “ I don’t get no respect.” The same punch line applies to leaders who avoid the nuances of building trust. Over time, they lose respect and impact. We discovered 3 trust traps that leaders must avoid.
The practice of building trust is certainly less headline-grabbing than the latest U.S. political kerfuffle, the explosive martech landscape, or the power of AI. Yet our inability to build executive and customer alignment can often happen because we assume we have earned someone’s trust due to our digital prowess or expertise.
We live in a time where the digital revolution can undermine our trust-building efforts. For example, big brands such as AT&T, Verizon, and Wal-Mart Cola recently suspended ad funding on YouTube. Programmatic advertising—which is the process of buying and selling advertising online—is forcing many agency leaders and CMOs to lift the opaque curtain from the auctioning/bidding process.
In addition, the barrage of new marketing technology solutions can cause decision paralysis. James Ontra, CEO of Shufflrr, reminds us that “when there are too many solutions to choose, doubt and indecision can take hold when action is necessary.”
The antidote to building greater trust is not always simple–some of these external events are outside of our immediate control. But we CAN influence how we plan, communicate, and innovate.
In my latest HuffPost, I outline three often overlooked trust building mistakes. You have made one of these mistakes, Lisa, and don’t even know it. I certainly have committed these mistakes during my career.
If you are discouraging diverse debate, or are poorly prepared for your digital debut, you’re setting yourself up for C-suite stage fright. That’s a surefire path to getting no respect.
Related posts:
5 Rules for Winning Over the C-Suite (FastCompany)
5 Competencies to Help CMOs Effectively Communicate with Boards (ForbesCMO)
6 Ways Marketers Can Weather Any Storm with their CFO (FastCompany)
copyright 2017, Lisa Nirell. All rights reserved.