Page 114 - The New Gold Standard

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It’s a Matter of Trust

Trust each other again and again.
When the trust level gets high enough,
people transcend apparent limits,
discovering new and awesome abilities for
which they were previously unaware.
DAVID ARMISTEAD

When you look at Ritz-Carlton’s Service Values,
it is clear that leadership has crafted guidelines
|to ensure that guests’ needs will be met. Whether
those needs involve basic safety and security, a sense of
emotional well-being, or the desire to be offered a unique
memorable experience, the Service Values encourage
staff to do what it takes to reliably care for the guest.
In order for the Ladies and Gentlemen to meet these
fairly lofty objectives, the employees need to know they
can trust leadership. Gilbert Fairholm, author of the book
Leadership and the Culture of Trust, suggests that social
factors and self-serving business practices have eroded
the confidence employees place in their employers. He
explains, “True leadership is a process of building a trust
environment within which leaders and followers feel
free to participate toward accomplishment of mutually
valued goals using agreed-upon processes.” At Ritz-
Carlton, leaders foster trust by first creating a financially

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Copyright © 2008 by Joseph A. Michelli. Click here for terms of use.