The Change Dude’s Blog

Trust No-One – Sound Familiar?

In prepping for a talk I’m doing this week to a bunch of marketing folks in Boston I ran across Edelman’s latest Trust Barometer http://www.edelman.com/trust/2009/.  Edelman is a major PR firm that does this survey annually and guess what – Trust is down, like way down, like lower than after the Enron debacle.  Apparently the changes that took place late last year have driven everyone to look left and look right and decide – I don’t trust these people!  Now isn’t that amazing…  Mulder and Sculley have made us all converts. 

Change happens quickly - Just Keep Flyin

So I ask myself, Is this really a surprise to anyone?  Certainly not to me.  As the ultimate believer that change is good –I see this as just another indicator that when the road curves unexpectedly most folks lose faith in the map. 

Advice to those that have lost faith and trust in business and government:

1. All humans make decisions that are driven either out of fear or greed – TRUST THAT

2. When someone makes a decision or takes and action that directly effects you personally without asking for your opinion or approval we HATE it – TRUST THAT

3. Neither business nor government has your personal interest in mind unless of course it meets their immediate need for control or financial gain – TRUST THAT

4. You have the final power to either accept the fact that business leaders and the government control how you live your life or ensure that as all these people you have no control over only provide inputs to how you morph your life to the previous 3 realities. -TRUST THAT

Each day brings a new sunshine that no living being has complete control over.  We do have control over how we act in response to the changes that are always happening around us.  Nothing is static or even particularly predictable.  Your ability to accept the inputs of the day, process those inputs using your own wet-ware (brain including all the embedded moral, ethical and survival firmware) and take positive action is unique to the creatures living on this planet we must use it wisely.

My father Busty the Wise routinely reminded me of his observation “believe none of what you hear and half of what you see” .

March 11, 2009 - Posted by thechangedude | Thinking About Change