June 2022 Newsletter: Four Ways You Can Rebuild Trust
Trust has been steadily declining across many sectors and industries, fueled by self-interested politicians and the media. According to findings from the 2022 Edelman TrustBarometer, “Distrust is now society’s default emotion.” And we discovered that distrust was a common and central concern for Americans from all walks of life during our research for Civic Virus: Why Polarization Is a Misdiagnosis.
But we are not helpless—we have it within us to create a new path forward! Here are four ways you can rebuild the trust our society needs.
1: Learn (and Live By) the Basic Dignity Equation
Building trust requires understanding and reflecting on people’s reality in what we do and say.
There are too many people who believe their voices don’t matter and who don’t feel heard because our actions don’t reflect what they care about. To change this, there is a simple and profound equation you must learn and live by. Read more about the basic dignity equation.
2: Embrace Vulnerability
We must be willing to share what we stand for and take the risk to engage with others who may see things differently.
Last month, Rich Harwood met with a cross-section of residents and leaders to kick off our initiative toward community-led transformation in Alamance County, NC—an area fraught by a history of deep division with persistent distrust across boundaries. Learn more about our partnership with Impact Alamance.
Following Rich's keynote address, Representative Ricky Hurtado shared, "Tonight, we struck at the heart of what I hear every day in the community, which is talking about trust and vulnerability. This conversation left me curious and wanting to lean into that discomfort.”
3: Build Together
In a society where people are increasingly separating and segregating, we must restore our belief that we can get things done together with practical projects that have marked American energy and drive since our founding.
Sound utopian? It’s real. This is happening right now in Reading, PA, Clarksville, TN, and Lexington, KY, three very different communities that created remarkably similar agendas for education and their communities. Although at different stages in their work, they are each building together at a time when debates around education signal nothing but division.
4: Fulfill Your Promises
Trust forms when people see results—when they sense that we are living up to our words.
But we can’t deny that there is tension that creates challenges in our work. We must develop intentional strategies to navigate this tension and keep moving forward instead of backing down or giving up. That’s how we can make good on our promises to our communities. Read two ways to navigate tensions when bringing community members together.
There is a Choice you Get to Make
In recent years, we’ve seen so many injustices brought to light with little or no action to follow—empty promises are the enemy of trust. And with the shootings in Buffalo, Uvalde, and elsewhere, trust and safety feel more tenuous than ever. Rich wrote two powerful letters, “We Want to Matter” and “I Tried to Let Them Know They Were Safe.” Read them. Sit with the ideas and ask yourself, what actions will you take? And will you be turned inward, or outward toward your community? That is a choice you get to make.