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"People usually talk about confidence when there is none"
Report 01 | 08
People who talk about confidence a lot seem to be the ones who need it most that's the claim made by Dr. Reinhard K. Sprenger, a management theorist and consultant. Report had an exclusive interview with him about the role that confidence does and could play in companies today.
There is a lot of talk about confidence these days.
Is that a sign that is in short supply?
The real question is even bigger. Why is the need for confidence growing? It's likely because our traditional culture of trust has broken down. We all know the kind of trust that is imprinted in our genes: trust based on familiarity. We say, "I know this person. I've dealt with him in the past and am confident that my expectations will
pan out." This type of trust hardly exists any more.
Why is that?
There are many reasons: We live and work with people who, in the end, are complete strangers. 1 work with many people 1 have never met before. And I will probably never see them again. That undermines the second pillar of a trusting relationship: the expectation of seeing someone again.
So what does that mean to companies? Which is better: confidence or distrust?
Distrust and control are essential in situations where it would be naive to trust others. We have to be able to anticipate and minimize the consequences of a breach of confidence. We must have procedures in place to prevent an employee from lighting a match and blowing the whole shop sky-high. If procedures are in place and someone causes damage, it may hurt, but it is survivable. You have to take risks and, within this framework, extend trust.
Are companies being forced to have confidence more than ever before?
Trust saves money, and speeds up business operations. 1 am a market radical: 1 really believe in the market. And the market says that companies should be faster. That doesn't mean we all have to run harder; it means cutting back on red tape and internal controls. To do this, companies need managers who are serious about trust. Self-confidence plays a big role. People can only be considered for a management position if they say,
"I don't trust everyone all the time, but 1 do generally trust people. 1 may be disappointed sometimes, but disappointment is a natural part of doing business."
How is confidence introduced into a company?
If you really want to capitalize on economies of trust, then you first have to scale back your controls where appropriate and possible. Step by step. Each reduction should be noticeable, but small enough so you can still control the damage if someone abuses your trust. If
you extend trust, even within limits, there is a good chance it will be reciprocated. Of course, there are exceptions. But generally speaking, trust puts a person under so much pressure to be honest that only pathological personalities are immune. Such people exist, but they are rare.
What advice would you give someone who has been disappointed before?
If your trust is not respected, then you should feel provoked. Hit back with everything you've got. Don't be hesitant, forgiving or afraid! You must respond to any breach of trust clearly and unwaveringly. Not reacting is the same as sanctioning the breach. However, once a certain time has passed, if you want to try to trust the person again, be forgiving. This is the ethics of the second chance.
If someone violates your trust, can you ever have confidence in them again?
Ask yourself: Are you really willing to become paranoid because your trust has been abused a couple of times? Remember, this abuse is probably insignificant compared to the many times your trust has been rewarded. Psychologically, people tend to overestimate their losses and underestimate the value of their gains. That's why many managers often overreact, that is, they impose a new rule. And so the whole company becomes shrouded in a web of mistrust, just because of a rule that prevents 5 percent of the workforce from doing things that would never even occur to the other 95 percent.
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