BUILDING

CREDIBILITY AND
ESTABLISHING
TRUST
Project HEADWAY Webinar Series

MARK MULLALY, PH.D., PMP

mark.mullaly@interthink.ca
@markmullaly

15 12 2022
Webinar Objectives

Understand The Essential Components of Credibility And Trust

Develop Strategies To Build And Enhance How We Are Perceived By Others

Explore How To Recover When Credibility Is Undermined Or Trust Erodes

Building Credibility and Establishing Trust 15 DECEMBER 2022 3

Webinar Process – Things to Know

This Is A Zoom Webinar Presentation

• PowerPoint
• Computer-based audio stream

Problems or Help?
• Contact Heather using the Q&A box

Questions?
• Submit a question in the Q&A box
• Questions will be answered during the Q&A session
• We may not be able to answer all questions

This Presentation Will Be Recorded for Future Reference

PDUs

Building Credibility and Establishing Trust 15 DECEMBER 2022 4

Agenda

• Introduction
• Defining Our Terms
• Credibility, Competence & Trust
• Building From Zero
• Recovering From Failure
• Question & Answer Session

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DEFINING OUR TERMS

Credibility & Trust

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Defining ‘Credibility'

'Credibility' Means:
• The quality or power of inspiring belief

• Capacity for belief

Source: merriam-webster.com
• Definition taken on 12 December 2022

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Defining ‘Trust'

'Trust' Means:
• To rely on the truthfulness or accuracy of : to believe

• To place confidence in : rely on

• To hope or expect confidently

• To commit or place in one's care or keeping : entrust

• To permit to stay or go or to do something without fear or misgiving

• To extend credit to

Source: merriam-webster.com
• Definition taken on 12 December 2022

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What Does The PMBOK Have To Say?

On This Particular Topic, Very Little At All

The Word “Credibility” Appears Exactly Twice

• Both with respect to the PMBOK Guide being credible and relevant

“Trust” Appears With Greater Frequency, With 37 Appearances

• An important quality of being an effective steward is trust

• There is a need for trust to exist within a project team for it to be successful

There Is No Guidance On How To Build Credibility And Establish Trust

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CREDIBILITY,
COMPETENCE &
TRUST, OH MY

Building Credibility and Establishing Trust 15 DECEMBER 2022 10

Thinking About Credibility

Think About A Situation Where You Needed To Judge The Credibility Of Someone

What Were You Looking For?

• What were the qualities that made you consider them credible?

• What was missing if you felt that they weren’t credible?

What Are The Essential Dimensions That For You Make Up Credibility?

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Thinking About Credibility

When We Are Judging Credibility, We Are Typically Looking For:

• Confidence that someone has the skills and expertise we are looking for

• Assurance that they know what they are talking about

• Belief that they can and will provide what we are looking for or needing

• Expectation that they will do what they say

• Reassurance of progress in delivering results

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The Essential Constructs Of Credibility

Credibility

Competence Trust

Visible
Confidence

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When Trust Is Low And Stakes Are High

Projects Are Challenging Environments In Which To Demonstrate Credibility

• Projects have a large number of moving parts

• There is often significant uncertainty

• The consequences and expected outcomes of projects can be significant

• There is a lot that is unique and new

Projects Typically Represent Significant Change

• Asking stakeholders to let go of known and familiar ways of working

• Move into different and often less comfortable modes of operation

• Feeling stress and anxiety about the ability to be successful

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It Is Tempting To Believe That Good Work Is Recognized On Its Own

It Is Tempting To Think Good Work Is Enough

• Believing that we need to have good skills
• Relying on the need to perform well in our role
• Hoping that good work will be recognized all on its own

Good Work Needs To Be Seen To Be Acknowledged And Appreciated

• It needs to be made visible
• People need to be made aware of it
• There needs to be appreciation for what it is (even when that can be hard to judge)

Being Visible—And Projecting Confidence—Is An Essential Part Of Credibility

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Doing This Involves Balancing Each Dimension

The Dimensions That Make Up Being Credibility Are Interdependent

• You need to demonstrate competence
• You need to be trusted
• Both of those qualities need to be visible and tangibly present

Doing All Of This Well Can Feel Uncomfortable

• It can feel like you are bragging or engaging in self-promotion
• It may feel like you are needing to sell yourself and your abilities
• You may want to simply be quietly recognized and appreciated

The Reality Is That All Of This Is Necessary And Important

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BUILDING FROM ZERO

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When Do We Need To Build Credibility From Zero?

All Too Often

• Particularly as project managers
• The saying “you are only as good as your last project” has a great deal of truth

The Reality Is That We All Find Ourselves In New Situations

• New positions
• New organizations
• Working with new executives
• Engaging with new stakeholders
• Interacting with new teams

Reputation May Count For Some, In That It Got Us In The Door Or Into The Role
• That in no way negates the need for us to demonstrate our own credibility

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Recognizing The Interdependence Of Competence And Trust

We’ve Acknowledged The Role Of Competence And Trust In Building Credibility

• They are both absolutely essential

They Can Exist Independently Of Each Other

• Competence can exist without trust
• Trust can exist without competence

Credibility Doesn’t Exist Without Both Elements Being Present

• There is a need to know that you are able to do the job
• There needs to be a corresponding belief that you will follow through and do it
• Both need to be consciously addressed

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Defining Competence

We Often Think Of Competence As Being About “Technical Skills”

• It is very often what we lead with in our professional development
• It gets reinforced in a world where the perceived value of specialization matters

Competence Encompasses A Range Of Skills And Abilities

• Technical knowledge
• Personal management and organization
• Project management
• Organizational knowledge
• Leadership
• Collaboration
• Communication

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Building Competence

Credibility Does Not Require Being Exceptional In All Areas Of Competence

• You do have to be strong in at least one
• It certainly doesn’t hurt to be strong in several
• That doesn’t mean your are—or should expect to be—strong in all of them

Competence Is Also Not A Fixed State

• We often presume that it means what we already know and can do

Competence Leverages Existing Knowledge And Skills, But Is Also About:

• Your ability to learn
• Your future potential
• Your eagerness and willingness to take on challenges

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Demonstrating Competence

It Is One Thing To Have Competence, And Another Thing To Show It

• You need to engage in proactive strategies to demonstrate that it exists

These Don’t Need To Be Overt

• In fact, it is often most effective if they are not overt, but they must still be visible

Strategies To Engage In Demonstrating Competence Include:

• Ask good questions
• Amplify the positive and relevant contributions of others
• Be open about what you don’t know—and where your limits of expertise exist
• Express eagerness to learn and continue to develop
• Be okay with stretching outside of your comfort zone—a little bit

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Defining Trust

The Essence Of Trust Is Believing That Commitments Will Be Delivered

• That people will behave in ways that are aligned with their promises

What This Means In Practical Reality Is Several Things:

• Walking the walk

• Delivering on promises

• Doing the work

• Delivering the results

• Not undermining or betraying

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Dimensions Of Trust

Trust Is Not A Single Or Uniform Construct

• It exists in dimensions and degrees

This Means That The Same Level Of Trust Will Not Exist In All Circumstances
• Transactional trust
• I trust you to perform this specific action in the moment
• Requisite trust
• I have sufficient trust in this specific dimension that meets the measure I am looking for
• Mature trust
• I have developed over time a comprehensive level of trust in what someone says and does
• Referent trust
• Someone else that I trust has sufficient trust in someone for me to take it on faith that they are reliable

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Building And Demonstrating Trust

Trust Is Something That Is Built And Reinforced Over Time

• This occurs largely—although not exclusively—through social interactions

Investing In Social Interactions With Others Is A Necessary Activity

Different Ways Of Building And Reinforcing Trust Include:

• Being consistent in how we present and communicate
• Ensuring visibility and presence
• Building familiarity and understanding of others
• Maintaining positive social relationships
• Delivering on expectations—including, and especially, small ones

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RECOVERING FROM
FAILURE

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Failure Shows Up In Different Ways

Project Failures Show Up In A Variety Of Different Ways And Degrees

• Deliverable commitments get missed
• Scheduled dates slide
• Budget gets exceeded
• Expectations are not properly managed
• Work doesn’t measure up to the expected level of quality
• Team members are not fully present or involved
• Problems don’t get proactively identified and addressed

All Of These Can Undermine A Project

• As a consequence, they also potentially reflect on you as project manager

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Credibility Can Be Lost Personally As Well

We Can Also Directly Contribute To An Undermining Of Our Credibility

• This can occur through both our actions and our inactions

Different Ways That We Potentially Erode Or Destroy Credibility Include:

• Overselling ourselves
• Making commitments and not delivering
• Timeliness
• Results
• Delivering suboptimal results
• Not participating
• Not communicating
• Not management expectations

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There Is A Single Common Denominator

There Is A Single Common Factor That Lies Beneath All Of These Challenges
• Misalignment of words and actions

In Other Words, Loss Of Credibility Is A Product Of Not Doing What You Say You Will

This Can Be About Competence

• Not having the skills, knowledge and abilities
• Not performing to the level, the standards or the measure of your commitment

This Can Also Be About Trust

• Failing to follow through on commitments and obligations
• Undermining, betraying or deceiving others

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Recovering From Failure Is Not Easy

It Is Not Easy To Recover From Failures Or Loss Of Credibility

• To a certain extent, it depends upon the severity and significance of the failure

Failure Is An Inevitable Part Of Project Life

• Nothing will go perfectly well all of the time
• Deliverables will be missed, dates will slip, budgets will get overspent
• Sometimes, projects will fail to deliver at all—or not in the way that was expected

It Is A Different Level Of Failure When The Loss Is Experienced Personally

• You let someone down and failed to deliver on a personal commitment
• You betrayed or undermined someone else, or outright lied in a material way

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Meet Failure Head On

Successfully Rebuilding Credibility Means Meeting Failure Head On

• Accepting it for what it is
• Acknowledging that it occurred
• Not downplaying, making excuses or deflecting to someone or something else

Own The Failure For What It Is

• Be clear about what happened, why it happened and the consequences of it

Demonstrate Learning
• Identify what you have learned and gained in insights as a consequence
• Meaningfully define what you would do differently in similar circumstances

Follow-through On Rebuilding Credibility

• Behave in ways that demonstrate and rebuild competence and trust

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Keep Track Of Future Promises

Be Aware Of When You Are Making A Promise Or Future Commitment

• Recognize the statements you make that can be taken as future obligations

Keep Track Of The Future Promises That You Make

• Am I saying something that implies a promise?
• What is the commitment?
• What do I need to manage in terms of expectations?
• What do I need to do in order to deliver on it?
• Am I creating an expectation that is unrealistic or unattainable?

Actively Maintain This As A List Of Priorities

• Make sure that you actively follow through (and proactively manage where you can’t)

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IN CONCLUSION…

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In Conclusion…

Credibility Is Not A Synonym For Competence; It Is Creating Faith That You Can Perform
• It requires competence as a necessary and essential component
• It also requires trust and the faith that you will deliver on your promises
Credibility Must Also Be Seen And Visible
• It requires visibly demonstrating your abilities and actively seeking opportunities
We Build Credibility—Often From Zero Or Close To It—All The Time
• It involves creating opportunities to demonstrate expertise and potential
• It is reinforced by cumulatively demonstrating value and trustworthiness
Recovering Credibility After A Failure—Project Or Personal—Takes Work
• How much effort will depend on the scope and significance of the failure
• In all instances, take ownership, acknowledge reality, and demonstrate insight and learning
Sustaining A Record Of Delivery Is Helped By Recognizing And Tracking Promises
• Recognize you are making a commitment; track and follow through on each, no matter how small
Credibility Is An Essential Quality That Can And Must Be Developed; Doing So Takes Effort And Focus

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Q&A

BUILDING CREDIBILITY AND

ESTABLISHING TRUST

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 In Conclusion…

Quick Review:
Process to Pose a Question

Questions?

Mark Mullaly, PhD, PMP Building Credibility and Establishing Trust 15 DECEMBER 2022 36
PMI PDU Information

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If After Two Weeks You Don’t See The PDU On PMI’s PDU Credit Recording Web
Site:
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Building Credibility and Establishing Trust 15 DECEMBER 2022 37

Webinar Survey

ØFeedback Survey
• A feedback survey link is being provided in the chat section

• Please input your feedback and let us know what you think

• It only takes about 3 min to complete

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Mark Your Calendars!

Project HEADWAY

Selling a Practical Approach

to Project Management

Thursday, 19 January 2023

@ 3:00 PM EST

Building Credibility and Establishing Trust 15 DECEMBER 2022 39

THANK YOU

QUESTIONS FOR THE PRESENTER?

MARK MULLALY, PH.D., PMP

mark.mullaly@interthink.ca
@markmullaly