Nurturing Trust – Leveraging Knowledge

1. Nurturing Trust –Leveraging Knowledge SIKM Leaders Teleconference November 21, 2006 Peter West Senior Consultant Continuous Innovation peter.west@continuousinnovation.ca

2. Two Definitions of Trust*: • A psychological state comprising the intention to accept vulnerability based upon positive expectations of the intentions or behavior of another.”(Rousseau, 1998) • “The optimistic acceptance of a vulnerable situation in which the truster believes the trustee will care for the truster’s interests.” (Hall, 2001) VULNERABILITY = RISK + UNCERTAINTY Nurturing Trust – Leveraging Knowledge: Peter West, Continuous Innovation, November 2006

3. An Encounter: History {History} r T o r t u s s u t r e T e Adapted from: Riegelsberger et al (2005) with additions from other sources Nurturing Trust – Leveraging Knowledge: Peter West, Continuous Innovation, November 2006

4. An Encounter: Channel {History} (Channel) (Formal) (Time) r T o r t u s s u t r e T e (Space) (Informal) Nurturing Trust – Leveraging Knowledge: Peter West, Continuous Innovation, November 2006

5. An Encounter: Signals / Warrants (1) {History} (Channel) (Formal) Prior Signals Trust Warrants Trust Warrants (Time) r T o r t u s s u t r e T e (Space) (Informal) Nurturing Trust – Leveraging Knowledge: Peter West, Continuous Innovation, November 2006

6. An Encounter: Signals / Warrants (2) {History} (Channel) (Formal) Prior Signals Trust Warrants Trust Warrants (Time) r T o r t u s s u t r e T e (Space) (Informal) Nurturing Trust – Leveraging Knowledge: Peter West, Continuous Innovation, November 2006

7. An Encounter: Expectations (1) {History} (Channel) (Formal) Prior Signals Trust Warrants Trust Warrants (Time) Expectations r T o r t u s s u t r e T e (Space) (Informal) Nurturing Trust – Leveraging Knowledge: Peter West, Continuous Innovation, November 2006

8. An Encounter: Expectations (2) {History} (Channel) (Formal) Prior Signals Trust Warrants Trust Warrants (Time) Expectations r T o r t u s s u t r e T e (Space) (Informal) Nurturing Trust – Leveraging Knowledge: Peter West, Continuous Innovation, November 2006

9. An Encounter: Threshold/Action (1) {History} (Channel) (Formal) Prior Signals Trust Warrants Trust Warrants (Time) Expectations r T o r Withdrawal t u Trust Threshold s s Trusting Action u t r e T e (Space) (Informal) Nurturing Trust – Leveraging Knowledge: Peter West, Continuous Innovation, November 2006

10. An Encounter: Threshold/Action (2) {History} (Channel) (Formal) Prior Signals Trust Warrants Trust Warrants (Time) Expectations TRUST THRESHOLD: r T o r * Setting a limit on the amount Withdrawal t u Trust Threshold risk of that is acceptable s s Trusting Action (with consideration of the u t r benefits) e T e (Space) TRUST ACTION: * Making the request (WITHDRAWAL) * Deciding against further (Informal) interaction on this occasion Nurturing Trust – Leveraging Knowledge: Peter West, Continuous Innovation, November 2006

11. An Encounter: Threshold/Fulfillment (1) {History} (Channel) (Formal) Prior Signals Trust Warrants Trust Warrants (Time) Expectations r T o r Withdrawal t u Trust Threshold s s Trusting Action u t r e T e Trust Responsiveness (Space) Trust Threshold Expectations Fulfillment Non-fulfillment (Informal) Nurturing Trust – Leveraging Knowledge: Peter West, Continuous Innovation, November 2006

12. An Encounter: Threshold/Fulfillment (2) TRUST THRESHOLD: EXPECTATIONS: * Setting the level of benefits * Focused on whether their knowledge will be understood; that should accrue (with (Channel) how it will be used; how it will consideration of the risks) be acknowledged, protected, etc. (Formal) Prior Signals Trust Warrants Trust Warrants FULFILLMENT: (Time) Expectations * Responding to the request r T (Beware of over-committing and under-delivering) o r Withdrawal t u Trust Threshold s s Trusting Action u t r e T e Trust Responsiveness (Space) Trust Threshold Expectations Fulfillment Non-fulfillment (NON-FULFILLMENT) (Informal) * Declining to respond (on this occasion) Nurturing Trust – Leveraging Knowledge: Peter West, Continuous Innovation, November 2006

13. An Encounter: Reciprocity (1) {History} (Channel) (Formal) Prior Signals Trust Warrants Trust Warrants (Time) Expectations r T o r Withdrawal t u Trust Threshold s s Trusting Action u t r e T e Trust Responsiveness (Space) Trust Threshold Expectations Fulfillment Non-fulfillment Reciprocity (Informal) Nurturing Trust – Leveraging Knowledge: Peter West, Continuous Innovation, November 2006

14. An Encounter: Reciprocity (2) {History} (Channel) (Formal) Prior Signals Trust Warrants Trust Warrants (Time) Expectations r T o r Withdrawal t u Trust Threshold s s Trusting Action u t r e T e (Space) Fulfillment Non-fulfillment Reciprocity (Informal) Nurturing Trust – Leveraging Knowledge: Peter West, Continuous Innovation, November 2006

15. Trust and Knowledge Processes (1a)*: • Competence-based Trust: Particularly important for transferring tacit or complex knowledge (especially when ties are weak) • Benevolence-based Trust: Facilitates the transfer of explicit knowledge (and tacit when ties are strong) • Six Related Strategies(for the knowledge source - trustee): • Openly reveal the boundaries of your knowledge (vulnerability) • Explore people beyond their work roles (personal interests) • Early on, share something of value (trustworthiness of recipient)[e.g., tacit knowledge, contacts from personal network] • Be receptive to exploring and refining details of request (safety) • Act in a fair and transparent manner (process) • Demand accountability for trust (values, practices, recognition) * Adapted from: Abrams, Cross, Lesser and Levine (2002) Nurturing Trust – Leveraging Knowledge: Peter West, Continuous Innovation, November 2006

16. Trust and Knowledge Processes (1b)*: • Social Capital: • Shared vision • Shared language and meaning • Clear and effective communication • Discretion (privacy and confidentiality) • Bonding (inside the organization) • Bridging (outside the organization) • Operationally: • Trust-based (vs. power-based) • Collaborative (vs. hierarchical) • Encounter-friendly (vs. boundaries) • Pay-for-performance (vs. position) * Adapted from: Abrams, Cross, Lesser and Levine (2002); Huotari and Iivonen (2004) Nurturing Trust – Leveraging Knowledge: Peter West, Continuous Innovation, November 2006

17. Trust and Knowledge Processes (2) *: * Adapted from: Ford, Diane - Trust and Knowledge Management: The Seeds of Success / In: Handbook of Knowledge Management (2003) Nurturing Trust – Leveraging Knowledge: Peter West, Continuous Innovation, November 2006

18. Trust and KM Strategy*: • Strategies: • Codification-dominant: Object-focused –Intranets, repositories, etc. • Personalization-dominant: People-focused – Communities of practice, networks, storytelling, etc. • Balanced: Combination of codification and personalization • Codification-dominant strategies: Organizations exhibit low levels of trust • Personalization-dominant (Balanced) strategies: Organizations exhibit high levels of trust • Success of KM initiatives: • Greater in high trust organizations • Greater with personalization strategies * Adapted from: Ribiere et al (2005, 2006 – in press) Nurturing Trust – Leveraging Knowledge: Peter West, Continuous Innovation, November 2006