Trusted Advisor Associates

Saturday, July 4, 2009

T.Q. Self-diagnostic: Your Trust Quotient

Introduction

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You may know your IQ (Intelligence Quotient). You have some sense of your EQ (Emotional Intelligence).

But what about your TQ — your Trust Quotient?

Trust is the glue that holds together the networked relationships defining the new economy. The ability to trust and be trusted is at the core of business as well as personal relationships.

Just how trustworthy are you? What does it mean to be trustworthy? And what can you do to improve your TQ?

The answers to these and other questions lie in how you score on the Trust Equation*:

Where:

TQ = Trust Quotient (trustworthiness)
C = Credibility
R = Reliability
I = Intimacy
S = Self-orientation

Take the Trust Quotient self-assessment test and find out your TQ. For the most accurate results, take the time to carefully read and honestly reflect on each question.

At the end, you’ll receive not only your TQ score, but also an analysis of:

  • What your highest (and lowest) trust component were;
  • What you can do to leverage your strongest trustworthiness components;
  • What opportunities you have to raise your weakest trustworthiness components.

What’s Behind This Test

The Trust Quotient is based on the work of Charles H. Green, noted author and trust expert. Charles and his co-authors David Maister and Robert Galford co-authored the best selling business book The Trusted Advisor in 2000.

Charles then wrote Trust-based Selling, a book rich in how-to’s about the relationship of trust to sales and business development. Charles literally “wrote the book,” in other words, on trust in business.

The Trust Quotient is the result of his continual exploration of the dynamic of trust in business since founding Trusted Advisor Associates in 1997.

For more detail on the Trust Equation, see the article Trust in Business.


* The Trusted Advisor, by David Maister, Charles Green and Robert Galford, Free Press, 2000

First, please tell us a few things about yourself:

People tell me they're at ease with me: they have a good sense of who I am, they feel they know me, they know what to expect when they see me, talk to me, deal with me.

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People see me as a logical and clear communicator: what I say makes sense, and people compliment me on it.

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I don't focus on blaming others when things go wrong: I focus on the learnings, and move on easily from disappointment, without attachment to the past.

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People tell me I'm honest and open: when I say something, people view it not just as true, but as the whole truth; they don't think I'm holding back; they feel I'm giving them the whole picture.

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I am not afraid to take emotional risks by being open about myself: to acknowledge some failing about myself, or to engage in a conversation where I'm not an expert, and to admit my limitations.

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I am consistent and predictable: people know what to expect from me, and they get it. I am the same person at all times, and the same to all people.

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In interactions with others, I lead with curiosity: my motivation is less about achieving a goal or preventing loss or embarrassment than it is about asking questions, learning, and discovering ways to improve things for them.

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People confide in me: they tell me things they often don't tell others; they share with me things they consider private or personal.

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People can relate to me: they feel at ease and comfortable with me, I fit right in with the way they think and talk and with their interests.

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My word is my bond: I keep and deliver on my promises; I see keeping my word as a matter of personal integrity.

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I am not wedded to a particular outcome: I am comfortable changing agendas and objectives, with the end goal of simply making things better for the customer, no matter what result that might entail.

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I am really good at what I do: I have a lot of expertise in my area, based on experience, talent and hard work, and people recognize that about me.

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I am comfortable taking personal risks by engaging with the other person: I know that my intentions are good and am confident that the other person will see that; hence I am comfortable asking questions or raising topics that others in my position might avoid out of fear of appearing controversial or intrusive.

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I empathize with others, and am at ease letting them know it: people have all kinds of feelings; I'm sensitive to them all, and am comfortable sharing my own responses to their feelings, and they know that and appreciate it.

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I'm OK with losing a short term deal if it improves a long term relationship and helps the other: I believe that behaving that way improves the relationship, and pays back more strongly over time than being opportunistic.

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I have strong credentials: my degree, my training, my affiliations and my experience are all viewed positively by other people.

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I work to make sure there are no surprises when I'm around: I use my customers' vocabulary, I respect and reflect their norms and environment; I make sure that their expectations of me are consistent.

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I'm known to be discreet: people will talk to me about issues of personal or professional concern to them, even if I'm not an expert in that area, because they know I'll keep things between us.

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I do what I say I will do: I am rigorous about follow through and delivering on promises; when I am unable to fulfill on a promise, I immediately get in communication to reset expectations.

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I achieve my goals as a byproduct of helping customers get theirs: I like winning, but I see it as an outcome not a goal; I figure if I help my customers win, I will win too.

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