4 Core Fundamentals of Trust

I have just learned that the 4 core fundamentals of trust is are Integrity, Intent, Capabilities and Result. Integrity and intent makes up the character while capabilities and result demonstrate the competent criteria. It is important to demonstrate both character and competence to receive trust.

I have used integrity in my QA related activity and responsibility all the time. This exposure on trust fundamentals have made me realized that I may have overuse and misunderstood the word. What is Integrity? I have always linked integrity with strict adherence to work ethics that refers to performing the job as per instruction and ensure to achieve the target set successfully. Integrity goes beyond that. It is not just the act of being truthful or honest. The state of integrity is where truthfulness, honesty and respect are evident consistently. Honesty may not be evident at times as it is possible the person do not believe in the matter on hand. Some matters still require implementation because of law, company policy or even customer requirements. The key point of integrity is to consistently do the job as per required all the time. There is no compromise along the way. There are test carry out by some business to look into the integrity of their employees or newly joined employees. These tests usually link more to honesty. Integrity plays an integral part of a person’s character and without this behavior; an employer may need to manage more misconduct and performance problem at work.

Intent is another crucial part of character. It is an act of planning and demonstration of desire to act. The act here refers to various acts – the act to perform an activity effectively, the act of not fulfilling a target and the act to fail any given task. The intent will define the character of the person. The preferred intent is where the person has a positive intent to fulfilling the requirement. Combined intent with integrity, the character of a person shall decide on the first portion of trustworthiness. With a strong positive intent and high integrity, a person shall be more trusted to given tougher responsibility and excel in their career smoothly.

The second part of trust is competent. Competent consists of capabilities and results. Capabilities of an individual vary based on knowledge and training. The higher the capability, the better a person can demonstrate the ability to carry out tasks and targets set for them. Results produced from their day-to-day activity will reflect their performance. Both will contribute towards the competent level of a person.

The above 4 core fundamentals of trust will have to be demonstrated to achieve a workplace which are more trusting, honest, fill with high performers and thrust the team to do better all the time consistently.