A High Trust Response to COVID-19
The question most populating my inbox is, “Todd, are you okay?”
High Trust is a High-Performance Training and Event company, so some think we must be in panic mode. We’re not.
It’s true; serious issues are happening on a global front. People are dying, markets are volatile, and not just many, but most are being sent home without paychecks. However, when you’ve spent a lifetime helping others prepare for the unexpected, panic just simply isn’t in our vernacular.
So, what do I see as the correct response to those with whom we care the most?
I’m a man of faith. While I fall short all the time, I consciously structure my life, my marriage, and my company around this faith, which gives me an eternal perspective during the most difficult of temporal struggles. Therefore, my first response is to pray; pray for wisdom, pray for understanding, and pray for peace for everyone within my sphere of influence.
This means I’m praying for you.
That’s step one. Step two for me in tackling a problem is to assess the circumstances… and only then do we act. In a fluid environment like ours today, we continually evaluate and recalibrate our actions.
So, what does action in this new world look like?
For us at High Trust, WHAT we do, remains the same; although HOW we do, WHAT we do, has indeed changed.
WHAT we do is teach professionals the power of authentic, compassionate relationships. This has always been an essential ingredient in our formula for success. As to HOW we are doing that now, fortunately, we were able to send our teams home to work remotely. For us, outreach can happen by phone, email, and over streaming video nearly as well as face-to-face.
Are you interested in a little unsolicited advice as you continue to strive to be an influence maker in a fragile and hurting world?
“People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”
First, BE. You may have heard it said; we are human BEINGS, not human doings. So, be present (and we can do this while embracing social distancing by using video and the phone). Be empathetic (and sympathetic when you can). Be appropriately confident. Above all, be real.
Don’t look down on those who don’t share your confidence. And please don’t artificially feign confidence that doesn’t really come from inside. If you’ve read any of my books or graduated from any of our training, you know I believe success comes not from doing something different, but from becoming someone exceptional.
Being may require vulnerability, and that’s okay. If there are areas of our world today that scare you, be willing to share those. There are things that scare me too. Remember, People are dying, markets are volatile, people are losing jobs. Be authentic, be vulnerable; just please don’t panic. This, too, will pass.
Next, don’t sell – support. It’s about relationships. If you are blessed financially with plenty (and you might be surprised how low the definition is), figure out your best way to support those in need. We’re discouraged from going to restaurants. When it’s safe to go back, tip generously, converse lovingly, and look for ways to help.
I am super blessed to be surrounded by some of the most successful in our industry. They look to us to coach them through blind spots and help sharpen their skills. As you know, I continue to learn from them. One truth routinely proven is, the most successful around us are those who genuinely put others first. Do this, and the success will follow.
We will get through this. Not because we buck-up and make it happen. Not because we isolate ourselves from all chaos around. But because, as communities, we will learn how to row together (even when rowing means doing so for a period of time in quarantine).
In the end, the High Trust relationship is the one where people around you know that, even during the most difficult of circumstances, they can Trust that you always have their best in mind.
Friends, together, we will get through even this (and I bet we’ll be stronger for it).
