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The next tool in our tour of my Project Management Toolbox is my precious jar of Trust Dust. It is probably my most valuable tool. I sprinkle just the smallest pinch of it around the conference room before the first project meeting with the users. Sometimes I dust my proposals with a bit of Trust Dust. I try to use a little in every face-to-face meeting, and put some in my project communications.

It works wonders in helping move projects ahead. I have found that without Trust, it is very difficult to get cooperation, support, and commitment from the User side.

I’m finally ready to tell you were to buy some Trust Dust…

Well you shouldn’t be surprised. You can’t buy Trust Dust. If you could, there would be no swamp left in Florida – It would have all been sold (come to think of it, most of Florida has been sold…) The concept is an important one, though, because Trust is an essential component to successful project completion. If you can’t buy Trust Dust, maybe you can make some the old fashioned way… My full recipe has a number of parts – here are a few:

Listen Generously: Learn to listen for the contribution in each others speaking versus from your assessments, opinions, and judgements. Use restatement, active listening, and pay attention to your body language – be open.

Speak Straight: Speak honestly in a way that forwards the project as a whole. Make clear and direct requests. Be willing to surface ideas or take positions that may result in conflict when it is necessary to raise and deal with a difficult issue as a step to moving the project forward.

Inclusion: Ask the question: “Who needs to be included in this conversation, decision, or process in order to produce speed, effective action, or remove barriers?”

Comfortable: Be comfortable with yourself, and relaxed in the situation. I project a relaxed competence that says to my Users or Clients – “Sit back and enjoy the ride – you are in the best of hands”.

There are more ingredients in my recipe, but if you mix up the four ingredients above, and sprinkle it around your project conference room, you will be amazed at the Trust you can develop.

A tip of the PM Cap to Carter Schelling, who introduced me to the Way, and Lloyd Fickett, the Collaborative Way himself, who taught me the recipe.