It is critical for a Project Manager to build trust with their team and other shareholders. In this episode Susanne Madsen coaches Jared Coffin about building trust as Jared continues his preparations for becoming a project manager.



During the Podcast
One of the most important things a project manager can do to help them be successful is to gain the trust of their team and other stakeholders. Susanne shared four elements of building trust, which if applied will help you connect with whom you associate and build trust.
Four Elements of Building Trust
As you listen to the podcast, try to think of at least one person with which you would like to build trust. Think about how you can use these four trust building elements in that relationship. Doing so will help you apply these concepts.
Demonstrate Your Competence
Especially in professional relationships, it is important to demonstrate your competence in that which you engage in each day. For some it might be important to demonstrate technical competence. For others, it might be how you deal with other people. As a project manager, we need to demonstrate that we know how to perform our job as a project manager. Obtaining your certification in project management such as the PMP or even the CAPM will go a long way, but more importantly, we must demonstrate our ability to lead projects to success.
Build a Connection with Others
To build trust we need to build empathy with that individual. Discover what it is like to "walk a mile in their shoes", "see what they see" or "feel what they feel". Susanne suggests that we "listen to other people to connect" rather than just listening to understand. Understanding is important, but she suggests that connecting is more important because you are then able to build empathy.
Be Honest
Trust cannot be built if honesty is not present. Being honest is the most important element of building trust. Honesty is more than just being truthful, it includes being reliable. As project managers, we must deliver what we say we will. If we say we are going to complete a task we must complete that task.

Do not over promise!

Be reliable!
Communicate Clearly
Being able to communicate clearly helps build what Susanne calls the "circle of trust". Since project management requires so much communication with others, it is critical to learn to communicate very clearly. Misunderstanding what is communicated can cause distrust between two people.

Clear communication builds trust!
Resources Mentioned this Session
Susanne Madsen's Books:
Project Management Coaching Workbook: Six Steps to Unleashing Your PotentialThe Power of Project Leadership: 7 Keys to Help You Transform from Project Manager to Project Leader
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