Build Trust Before You Need It: How Repeated Conduct Prepares People for Uncertainty and Bad News

A crisis is a difficult time to ask others to believe that you will be honest, consistent, and willing to accept responsibility, especially if your ordinary conduct has taught them otherwise. Build Trust Before You Need It examines why credibility is established long before the difficult announcement, failed project, sudden change, or uncertain future arrives. William R. Stanek shows how ordinary habits such as follow-through, candor, listening, correction, and timely communication create evidence that people remember under pressure. You will learn why grand assurances cannot substitute for a record of dependable behavior and how small acts of integrity strengthen a group's ability to face unwelcome information. Trust will not guarantee agreement or prevent fear. It makes it more likely that people will believe you are telling them what you know and not hiding what matters.