Build Trust
When we trust, we act on the belief that something will perform as expected. The object of trust can be a thing (ladder), an animal (dog), a person (our best friend), an organization (the United Way), or an institution (the legal system). When our trust is upheld, we say that the person or thing is trustworthy, literally worthy of our trust. We are inextricably intertwined in a web of trust. Without trust, life is not possible. This is why fraud is so pernicious. We must trust. And others must trust us. The necessity of trust creates anxiety about whether we might let others down, thus betraying their trust--and vice versa.
Ethics By Design has two programs designed to build and solidify trust and, coincidentally, to inspire trustworthiness in others. The first uses The 7 Habits of Trustworthy People and Organizations™ as the foundation for practices that engender trust. The second is built on the principles, tools, and techniques of Strategic Negotiation™ as the basis for collaborative deal making and problem solving both within the organization and in transactions with outsiders. Each program, introduced below, enables an entity to make substantial progress toward becoming a self-governing organization.
The 7 Habits of Trustworthy People
This program seeks to instill the 7 core business virtues in individuals and organizations, using the 7 Habits of Trustworthy People:
Do good work ♦ Tell the truth ♦Play fair ♦ Mind your manners ♦ Keep your work ♦ Obey the law ♦ Do no harm
Learn more about the 7 Habits Program . . .
Strategic Negotiation™
Our Strategic Negotiation™ course is based on the principles and methods developed in the Harvard Project on Negotiation and made famous in Getting To Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In.
We teach the tools and methods of this revolutionary understanding of negotiation and dispute resolution.
Strategic Negotiation™ recognizes the value of respectful relationships, honest communication, and concerted efforts to satisfy interests with creative options for agreement that lead to mutual gains. Unlike many negotiation programs, Strategic Negotiation™ does not rely on manipulative tricks and ploys. This goal-directed method helps all parties achieve better outcomes by agreement than they could reach on their own.
Our Program provides a basis for integrating the principles of Strategic Negotiation™ into the culture of the organization in ways that enable all employees to relationships with solid trust accounts as they negotiate both internally and with external stakeholders and adversaries.