A Moment of Trust

I am currently training a horse to stand still while I get on. This is for safety reasons, as there is a point when you have to put your foot in the stirrup and mount that you are very vulnerable. This is a key moment of trust.

I am learning a lot more about myself in this process of training Hampie. (I didn’t choose the name!) and can see similarities with situations I see in the workplace.

Horses are amazing at giving instant and objective feedback. There are a lot of courses available teaching leadership using horses. I recommend Lisa Brice’s course www.horsesforcourses.co.uk, as I was astounded by the learning we all got from it and was impressed by Lisa’s professionalism.

Hampie has had a bad experience in the past, which has made him very fearful of the process. I need to be patient and understand those fears rather than get cross with him for misbehaving! It is important to get a balance between being firm and setting boundaries without being too hard on him and reinforcing his behaviours further. It is about engaging with him so he trusts me; and not showing any concerns I might have. Most importantly, I have to put my trust in him at that point of getting into the saddle. In his case, I have to let go of the reins completely and just do it.

When you are delegating to an employee, they too can be fearful. There is that same moment of trust when you have to let go of control and just do it. Trust, like respect seems a two way process. What interests me and I am trying to discover is what happens psychologically at that point of no return? What creates that final moment of trust – is it courage, faith or a random act of rashness?

• Do you trust your team and do they trust you?
• How do you measure that trust?
• What enables you to ‘let go’ at that moment of trust
• How much do you let go and delegate?

Please let me know your answers to these questions or any comments you have on trust