For the past few weeks, I’ve been pouring much of my energy into developing a change strategy for my client (they are a large government organization engaged in a fairly large transformation with both technology and business change implications).

When I’m writing something as dry sounding as a strategy document, I like to write it for consumption… not for a shelf… so I want it to have life and have soul.  So, I will take a look around for sources for inspiration – be it words of wisdom, little nuggets or even a creative visual for my deliverable.  If I can find old speeches from well-known people, it can usually be a good place for quotes, meaningful messages, and, generally, insightful words.  And a credible source adds credence to my story.

As I was pulling together thoughts for this strategy, I remembered something from Steve Jobs’ speech at Stanford’s 2005 Commencement (disclosure: I saw it on YouTube not by crashing the ceremony in Palo Alto… though that may have been fun).  If you’ve never seen or heard it, check it out:

In his speech, Jobs relates three stories from his life… the first (which covers the first 5:30 or so of the video) is about “connecting the dots.”  He talks about how it’s impossible to connect the dots in your life when looking forward… you only do it when looking backward.  And that you have to trust that somehow the dots in your life will connect… and trusting in that makes all the difference as you make choices that may take you off “the well worn path.”  This seems like common sense, right?  Not rocket science?  Of course not… it seldom is.  It’s so simple that we can easily miss it when we’re in the middle of our own situation.

It got me thinking about how important trust is in an organization… As employees, we place a great deal of trust in our managers because their ability (or lack thereof) to make good decisions will have a direct impact on us and the people who trust in and count on us.  Trust is equally important when considering change — new processes, new systems, new products or services, new strategies, markets, …

When I begin work with a new client, one of the first areas I explore is the culture of the organization… do people like each other, do they like working here, do they trust each other and do they trust in their management.  If the answer is “no” to any of these questions, it’s a big ol’ red flag.  I can tell you with near certainty that change is going to be messy so brace yourself and do something about it.  Because if people don’t trust those whom are driving the change, they will not be able to, as Steve Jobs did, “trust that the dots will somehow connect” and they will be very unlikely to want to venture away from the “well worn path” that is their job as they know it today.

So, please… managers… do the things you need to do to create a trusting culture in your organization… because when the time comes for you to consider implementing change that will impact your people (yeah, that’s who it affects by the way… people… not an impersonal, inanimate object that we call a company or organization), you will spend fewer hours, less energy, and less money in a trusting culture than you would in one that lacks trust.  And, hey, who knows, people will probably be smiling most of the way.  But if people don’t trust you, they won’t change my friend… I’m sure you’ve lived that one before…