Trust!

Written by Gilles Auger on 30/11/2010

 

TRUST! This is a value everyone is looking for, but nobody can find it anymore. The social discontent with both public and private systems, this chronic cynicism that Bernard Brault calls “our collective Prozac”, is mainly caused by this lack of trust.

The embezzlement and the modern scandals aren’t worse than the scandals from another time, even less transparent times; but, apparently, the public’s opinion of our modern societies has become even more aware and demanding.

Nowadays, the instant communication has become the norm. The government organizations, the private and public companies, as well as the managers, top executives, directors, they are all put under the microscope. Every movement, every gesture, every word are analyzed carefully and an opinion is issued immediately. The attitude, the ethics and the managerial behavior are the core of this feeling of trust or lack of trust.

The Sound Management matrix concept was created precisely to help people gain that trust, and the concepts of probity and integrity to regain their rightful place. Used indiscriminately for some decades, these terms can’t even helps anymore in inspiring confidence. Too many people have already proclaimed themselves being persons of integrity that they found themselves in embarrassing situations, such as illegal or criminal situations.

A “sound” management is therefore needed. It is a reasonable expectation for people entrusting their assets, resources, and other values to a third party. The sound management values are standard, apolitical, neither of left-wing nor of right-wing; they aren’t related to any religion in particular.

I’d like to quote here Bernard Brault with a fragment from his book “Exercer la Saine Gestion”, which expresses my understanding of the word trust in the context of the relationship established between a mandator and a mandatory.Trust is the balance established between the understanding of the notion of risk and an inner feeling of security. This balance is fragile and can be lost easily. The human beings, as well as animals, analyses the risk according to how they perceive it or how it is wanted to be perceived. The inner feeling of security is also induced according to our perception of the external world. Trust means abandoning oneself. A more or less deep feeling of abandonment making the human beings depend on their perception of the external world.

When trust is broken, it is very difficult to gain it back. We are often asked why the ISM exists and what is his role.

Well, I’d say that we’d like to be considered, similar to the lighthouse once guiding sailors in their way, as a reference for those wanting to avoid the shipwreck of their organization and integrity.

Gilles Auger, CPA, CA. Adm.A CMC , is a senior consultant in Governance, managerial ethics and expert in the Sound Management self-diagnostic and the Sound Management Audit.


[1] Brault Bernard Exercer la Saine Gestion : Gouvernance, Éthique managériale et Audit de Saine Gestion CCH, 2010 p 24


6 comments

by Roger T. at 12/03/2010

Un beau billet, très juste! Bravo M. Auger! Sans confiance, il n’est pas possible de fonctionner.

Roger

by Robert P. at 12/13/2010

En effet, la confiance est à la base de tout. Comment peut-on faire des affaires sans confiance. Nous avons perdu confiance dans nos gouvernements. Il faut des hommes droit comme vous qui croient en un idéal comme celui que vous proposer pour faire avancer la cause. Allez-y, installer la Saine Gestion partout au gouvernement et fini la corruption!

Robert

by Bernard Brault at 12/14/2010

Robert, la droiture s’encadre. C’est à la fois une question de conscience éthique, beaucoup de courage pour nos politiciens, du détachement et d’un petit quelque chose pour s’en rappeler (CDSG) . Nous sommes d’abord des humains et le risque de dérapage est constant. Il faut juste avoir un peu de modestie, mais ça …

by Prof. D. Schmidt at 12/17/2010

Dear Mr. Auger:

I read with much interest your post, but a few questions remain:

> the public’s opinion of our modern societies has become even more aware and demanding.

More demanding of what? Are you saying that today’s people is asking for more transparency? What would be the rationale behind this? What is your argument? Education level? General awareness?

> The attitude, the ethics and the managerial behavior are the core of this feeling of trust or lack of trust.

Firstly, you must define what is trust, then you can define a relationship between attitude and trust or ethics and trust because quite frankly, I don’t see the causal relationship between the hereinabove terms.

> The Sound Management matrix concept was created precisely to help people gain that trust, and the concepts of probity and integrity to regain their rightful place.

Hum… Not sure I follow you here. Don’t you think it is a bit far fetched to state that a SM matrix was created to help people gain trust. What is your premise here?

Thanks in advance for taking the time to clarify your otherwise excellent post.

Cheers,

Prof. D. Schmidt

by C. at 12/21/2010

Article tres interessant sur la saine gestion et la confiance.

C.

by François R. at 01/21/2011

Dans une société où la corruption rôde presque partout, peut-on encore se faire confiance? Voilà un grand débat.
La confiance est d’abord et avant tout une question de respect, une autre valeur primordiale qui malheureusement, perd de plus en plus de terrain. Excellent billet!

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