“Trust is built on two things: compassion and competence.”
– Garrison Wynn at ASSP Bakersfield 20th Annual PDC
Garrison went on to say “Some people have known you for 5 years and don’t trust you, yet there are people who have known you for 5 minutes and they trust you.” As safety professionals, we tend to pride ourselves on our technical capabilities while ignoring the compassion needed for success. It’s more than what you know: people need to “feel” that you care. Listening (being heard) is a big part of building trust: without it, people will not engage and the safety process will suffer.