Reflections on the 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer
“A Battle for Truth” and “Trust Crash in the U.S.” proclaimed last week’s 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer. Then, the usual, ridiculous hand-wringing ensued. Yet, there’s plenty of research in business strategy and ethics that points the way out of this quagmire; and it’s not the inter-personal stuff you may be familiar with. I’m talking real business practices and systems that make your organization more trustworthy and therefore, more trusted. Trust has tangible bottom-line benefits.
The need for macro-level trust interventions is urgent. Here’s what scholars Reinhardt Bachmann and Andrew Inkpen pointed out in the wake of the 2007-2008 financial crisis.
Clearly, the problem has not emerged in that trust has broken down at the micro-level, i.e. in relationships where individuals know each other face-to-face. The trust crisis is essentially due to a breakdown of macro-level trust, i.e. trust in (large) organizations. This is why we urgently need to know more about the development, repair, reach and potential of institutional-based trust. (Bachmann & Inkpen, 2011)
Here are few trust-building tips off the top of my head, inspired by my MA Research and illustrated by 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer slides.
The Edelman Trust Barometer says trust in platforms (like Facebook and blogs) is
down but trust in journalism is up. That’s a good start. Now…
Newsrooms: Stop slashing staff and chasing clicks. Re-invest in real reporting and fact-checking.
Stop closing local news outlets. Hint: One key determinant to building trust is to provide appropriate resources (or Transaction Specific Investments).
Journalists: Quit the bandwagon journalism and rewarming celebrity stories. Find new stories. The world is full of them. For example: Is everything ok in Haiti? What about Fukuyama? What’s happening in South Sudan? (Yes, I know you need newsrooms and budgets to do that… see above.) Stop interviewing one another and covering your endless retirement stories! Stop inserting yourselves into the story, especially if you’re lying about it (Looking at you Bryan Williams). Interview the experts on these stories: technical experts, academics, the people involved, the leaders who are responsible. That’s who your viewers trust.
CEOs: Behave ethically (Really? I have to say that?). For example, Volkswagen, don’t fudge your emissions tests. Require your employees to behave ethically (I’m thinking banks and telcos pushing products people don’t need). Loblaws, don’t engage in price fixing and imagine a $25 gift card makes it all better.
Establish clear norms of appropriate behaviour and penalize those who transgress (#MeToo, enough said).
Communicate. What you are doing? Why? How does it impact your stakeholders? Communicate your values and be honest about the world in which you operate.
Show benevolence (Looking at you Tim Horton’s … cutting out paid breaks, give me a break, Mr. Grinch!) If you partner with NGOs, be sure the power in the relationship is equal, otherwise you’re trying to co-opt them.
Invest in your people, your communities and your business partners. Where you can, cut hierarchy and monitoring in your organizations (those cost a lot) and empower people to do what you hired them to do. Establish longer-term goals so staff aren’t tempted to cut corners to meet quarterly results.
Develop joint plans and mechanisms for joint problem solving for staff, teams or partners – whichever is appropriate – and ensure compensation rewards collaboration. Resource projects appropriately. Ensure employees can deliver on their promises and have the flexibility to show benevolence (Southwest Airlines does this so well.) Ensure you have role clarity and distributive justice within your organization (Hello BBC!).
Implement ethics as a practice – not as a once-a year code of conduct or a once in a while gut check, but a real practice. It can be an excellent lens for risk management – before you get into trouble – as well as a source for value creation.
Show competence. Deliver. Period. Just do what you said you would do. (This reminds me of the Phoenix pay system… what happened there? The government needs to trust its supplier and employees need to trust they will get paid properly.) Ensure your premises – physical and digital – convey trust by showing your accreditations, reviews, awards, etc.
NGOs: See CEO recommendations and use as applicable. Be transparent. Show good governance. Apologize when you mess up. Measure your results. Be transparent. Share your good news – we need it. Show benevolence not just with your clients but by collaborating with other NGOs for the greater good of the community, not the survival of your organization. (I KNOW this is a hot topic. But we need an attitude of abundance. Are you putting the community first?)
I’ll have more to say when the Canadian results come out on Valentines’ Day! For the moment, here are few Canadian results from the global release.
Despite the fact that Canada is the most trusted country of origin, last year the country fell into the category of distrusting nations. This dubious distinction lands us exactly in line with the 25-country global total and in the neighbourhood of such bastions of democracy as Argentina and Columbia.
Oh Canada! We can do better. In fact, we must.
Source for all graphs: 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer. https://cms.edelman.com/sites/default/files/2018-01/2018%20Edelman%20Trust%20Barometer%20Global%20Report.pdf
Insights, introverts and index cards
Before I started teaching a new PR class last year, I wanted to improve the classroom environment for people with different styles. The previous semester was my first teaching experience and the class included lots of debate, group work and presentations. As the semester clipped along, the same handful of students were always raising their hands or leading discussions. They were terrific, but I also wanted to hear from the “unusual suspects,” people whose ideas and grades were excellent 
but who weren’t speaking up in class. I debated just calling on them to coax an answer but didn’t want to put anyone on the spot.
My friend suggested I just ask my students at the beginning of the semester whether I can call on them “out of the blue.” That’s simple enough. So on the first class, I distributed blank index cards and asked the students to write: their name, whether I can call on them in class even if they haven’t raised their hand; what they hope to get out of the class; and a fun fact about themselves.
The first thing that surprised me was that students’ personalities immediately shone
through the simple 3×5 lined index card. Their handwriting, use of adjectives, smiley faces all told me something about them.
Answers to a simple “can I call on you?” ranged from enthusiastic “Yes!!!” with multiple exclamation marks or “Absolutely” to emphatic “No thanks!” or “I prefer to formulate my thoughts first,” and variations of “it depends.” I used that information to create a little chart of green, yellow and red dots on my class list so that, at a glance, I could nudge discussion along, without putting anyone on the spot.
A five-minute index card exercise provided insights that make me a better teacher.
The real value came in the “throw-away” fun fact question. One student let me know she’s allergic to nuts and carries an epi-pen. That’s potentially life-saving information that would never come up in the course of regular classroom interaction. Another student wrote that she is hard of hearing. She didn’t have an official accommodation, so I might never have known; but with eight little words on the bottom of an index card I could make sure I was facing her, speaking loudly enough and checking in privately every once in a while.
Students told me they have young children or two part-time jobs, others are simultaneously completing other programs, are international students or world-class athletes. Having this background information gave me instant empathy about some of the challenges and demands students face outside the classroom. When students shared previous education or work experience, I was able to incorporate those into examples and exercises throughout the semester.
Whether students told me they love travel, cats, dogs, hockey, tea, piano or the number 12, that little index card immediately gave me a tiny peek into their lives. It provided an instant connection. Now, when students walk into the classroom, I really feel they are bringing all of their hopes, dreams, talents, interests, lucky numbers and challenges with them. They bring their whole selves to class. It’s different than knowing it conceptually.
You could argue that PR students should be fast on their feet and ready to be called on at any time. I think they’re teenagers in an 8am class who are learning to be PR experts. They have every right to put their best foot forward in their learning environment. They’re not all extroverts who learn by thinking out loud and who get energy from being in front of a group. Some students are introverts who want to think, read, reflect and craft their response before sharing it. Some students have English as a second language who need a little extra time to formulate their thoughts. In all cases, the answers and ideas are just as good. My job is to tailor my approach to get the best from them and to encourage them to participate.
Thanks to my brilliant friend for her suggestion. A five-minute exercise and an index card gave me the information I needed to keep the conversation flowing in class and wonderful insights into the lives of my students. That little bit of insight makes for a richer and more effective environment for all of us.
Do you have a classroom trick or great ice-breaker to share? I’d love to hear it.
Re:solution: Embrace,schedule and delegate
Why do we roll our eyes when we contemplate New Year’s resolutions? They are a moment when we’re honest with ourselves 
about a particular aspect of our lives that could use some improvement – be it fitness, punctuaity or an underwear drawer that could use an overhaul. Resolutions are an acknowledgment of a need to improve and grow and are often the root of establishing a personal vision. Honesty, personal growth and vision are all positive attributes so… why the long faces? A friend who is studying guided meditation suggests that the term ‘resolution’ puts a lot of pressure on us and we are disappointed when we ‘fail’.
If we reframe the concept from an imposition to an intention, then we relieve some of that pressure and turn a negative connotation into a positive one.
Another way to reframe is to focus on the “solution” part of the word. The re:solution is an opportunity to fix something that’s off and, since we can’t always find solutions ourselves, why not delegate part of the solution to maximize your chances of accomplishing your objectives? When you have a sore tooth, you call a dentist. So if your issue is fitness, call a trainer. Want to tackle pesky perfectionism? Book an appointment with a counselor. If you keep meaning to freshen up your home, call a painter. If learning a new language is languishing on your bucket list, sign up for a class. It doesn’t have to cost any money. If you want to clean out the garage, pick a date and ask a friend to help you out. You’ll have fun, spend time with someone you love and accomplish your objective. The act of delegating all or part of your resolution commits you to act on it. Do it now and you can be one of “those people” who love New Year’s Resolutions.
Tips for Successful Re:Solutions
- Congratulate yourself for your vision and commitment to personal growth
- Acknowledge that you are worth it
- Frame your resolution as a positive action and break it down into manageable steps. For example, if you have a health and fitness goal: walk daily; try a new vegetable every month; book time with a trainer; etc… (Studies show it’s more difficult to stop doing something than do add something new.)
- Enlist professional help: trainer, nutritionist, painter, counselor, teacher,…
- Keep it clear and simple and get it done early.
Just do it! You’re worth it! Happy New Year!
I’d like to know, what’s been your most successful New Year’s resolution? What do you think helped you accomplish your goal?
How Star Wars helped me appreciate planning: from the archives
“Patience you must have my young padawan” – Yoda
I admit it. I don’t like planning. I find it tedious and I am always itching to do something. I love problems, projects, challenges that can be solved and then you can move on. It’s why I’ve done lots of issues management and crisis communications. When “it” hits the fan, I’m your girl.
But, I realize that the more complex the issue or the organization, flying by the seat of your pants is not always desirable. I get that you have to think strategically about how all aspects of your plan play out with various audiences, across the organization and over time. I get that, as a leader, you need a clear game plan and it helps your team if you’re just a tad more “buttoned down” (was the term in one of my early executive assessments). I just lament that it takes sooooo long. It seems that the more time there is, the more objections people raise. The more details people want included and, in the end, the ruminations don’t always produce a better mousetrap.
Then, a few years ago, I visited the Star Wars Identities Exhibit at the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum. The exhibit explores how
identities are formed through our families, society and our experiences through the Star Wars characters. While that’s the crux of the exhibit, I was struck with the detail in the movie models, the costume sketches and the signage that explained the painstaking character development and costume design. I hadn’t given any thought to the years of planning that go into movies although it makes abundant sense. You can’t exactly show up on a multi-million dollar movie set without having thought of every detail in advance. And when your movie is a sequel – as many complex organizational projects like replacing legacy systems are – you need the full back-story, the full picture of how your decision will play out in the future and its impacts across the organization today.
So, thank you George Lucas. I believe Yoda has taught me to be more patient, more planful, more detailed because sound planning is the beginning of a lasting legacy.
What has Star Wars taught you?
9 critical questions to help you build trust
At a Giving Tuesday panel a few weeks ago, I was asked to talk about trends in trust and how to build it… in three minutes. Since the timeline was a little tight, I thought I’d round out the conversation here 🙂
First: Trust in institutions is declining globally and in Canada
It’s well established that trust in media, government, business and NGOs is hitting record lows globally. In a “post-truth” and “fake news” era, how could it be otherwise? In Canada, the 2017 Edelman Trust Barometer shows we’ve shifted from neutral to distrusting of our major institutions for the first time in the survey’s 17 year history.
Second: Declining trust is an important individual, community and business issue
So what if we’re distrustful? Think of any organization that has to work harder to reach and to convince a particular audience. There’s a cost to that. I’m not just talking about persuading someone to buy a certain product. I’m talking about needing people to respond to important public policy, to donate to your cause or to to convey important health information.
Think of a stock that crashes because of a scandal or an organization’s inability to attract good candidates because of poor ethics. There’s a cost to that.
Think of a community that is less resilient because people can’t or won’t help each other through a crisis. There are major human and financial costs implications.
People tend to think that measuring, building and nurturing trust is “soft.” In fact, it’s a tangible bottom line issue. Trusted public companies tend to have better performance. Higher levels of trust reduce transaction costs and improve the likelihood of productive interactions.
How much money can an organization save when it negotiates a contract on a handshake? Millions. Ask Warren Buffett.
Even if you’re not negotiating multi-million dollar deals, the erosion of trust can have an impact on your organization.
Third: There are easy ways to build trust in your organization
Build trust by showing ability, integrity and benevolence
While there are more than 90 academic definitions of trust ranging from trust as a feeling, a behaviour or an operating framework and many shifting dimensions from shallow transactional trust to deep identification trust, a good place to start is understanding that Trust= Ability+Integrity+Benevolence
People don’t have time to verify all your credentials, so how do you show them you know what you’re doing?
- What does your physical or digital location say about you?
What does your environment say about you? Is it fun, welcoming, easy to navigate? While your physical or digital presence needs to align with your brand, it can also be used to build trust. Is your restaurant clean? Is your office organized? Are your tools in good condition? Is your online presence user-friendly? Do your online platforms work? Are your communications clear and compelling? What does your “real estate” tell me about your ability to do the job? These are all clues about your ability to deliver on your promise.
- Do you have third party designations or awards? Are they showcased?
People use third party validation as a shortcut to trust. So include professional designations on your business cards, put up certificates and awards in your space – modestly – and list accomplishments on your website. There’s a reason Best Employers, JD Power, Green 30 and Most Respected Company competitions are so popular. They serve as a proxy. (Did you know the Oscars and the Super Bowl are both PR strategies to sell more movie tickets and extend the football season, respectively?)
- Who vouches for you?
Few things are more persuasive than a great testimonial – especially when the person giving it has nothing to gain from an endorsement- so forget paid influencers. But who should speak on behalf of your organization? Of course, that depends. In a crisis, you have to go with top leadership because they are accountable; but in a range of other communications, take the time to think about who is more likely to be trusted.
Tough employee conversation? Face-to-face with the immediate manager is the best option. Online product reviews? Honest, objective assessments from total strangers take the day. Direct mail campaign for charitable giving? “A person like me” who has been helped by your cause.
If you look at the Edelman Trust Barometer slide, you can see that trust across the range of spokespeople dropped last year. Still, academic and technical experts continue to lead the pack in credibility, followed by “A person like yourself.” There’s a reason people read Consumer Reports and The Lemonade Guide. We need an expert we can trust as a shortcut to doing all the due diligence ourselves.
This does not mean your CEO is not competent or credible. It means that because they have a vested interest in the outcome – their job, stock prices, etc – they are not always the best spokesperson. Organizationally, people trust regular employees. That’s why Ford uses them in their commercials.
Show integrity
When world leaders can change their tune on a daily basis and people care more about “personal brand” than authenticity, it feels like integrity is in short supply. But let’s not despair, there are many ways an organization can show integrity.
- Do you act with integrity?
Leaders need to act with integrity. Period. Simple. Remember when “my word is my bond”? Let’s go back to that.
Be the moral compass.
- Are you transparent?
For the organization to show integrity you can do anything from mandatory audits (but you can do better than that) to third party validations to transparent communications. At Rhino Foods, they use Open Book management to ensure employees understand the state of the company’s finances, the impact of what’s happening in the market or in the organization and their role. And, of course, the employees share in the profits. They also help problem-solve when there are issues. But don’t take my word for it…
http://www.rhinofoods.com/open-book-management
In the absence of transparency and openness, employees and “the market” feed on rumours and speculation. That’s just bad for business.
- Do you set common goals and share decision making?
In my grad school research on inter-organizational trust, joint goal setting and joint decision-making were important elements of building trust, especially in new ventures. Why? They force transparency, they equalize power and they align vision, priorities and resources. Without them, a staggering number of joint ventures fail.
The value of joint goal-setting and joint decision-making applies to partnerships of all sizes. For example, in large-scale humanitarian mobilizations, the parties don’t have time to get to know each other personally or to assess one another’s capability or integrity. They assume they are capable based on their brand, their equipment, their experience, their credentials and other signals. Joint goal-setting and decision-making is a mechanism that signals equality, transparency and shared outcomes.
- How do you respond in a crisis?
Organizations show integrity and build trust in a crisis by taking responsibility, providing information, showing empathy and outlining a clear course of action to address the issue. Of course, they have to mean it.
JFK said “The time to fix the roof is when the sun is shining.” That’s true for building trust too. Make sure people feel comfortable flagging issues for you early.
- Do you punish the bad apples?
Showing integrity is not just channeling trustworthy behaviours. It also has to establish norms and values and challenge behaviours that are not aligned. Are your corporate values relevant to people? If you quizzed your employees, would they know what the corporate values are or are they a list on a poster somewhere? Are values reflected in compensation and promotions? Do you value how results are achieved as much as the results themselves? What happens when people don’t exemplify your norms and values?
Do you use your code of ethics for decision-making and value creation or is a document to be dusted off and signed once a year? Are your corporate policies aligned with consequences? Are bad behaviours overlooked for star performers? Are some issues swept under the rug? Do employees see leaders taking responsibility?
- Do you invest in your partners and in your people?
Business strategy research shows that Transaction Specific Investments and a long-term orientation are very important in building trust. These investments can be information sharing, investing in infrastructure or a joint platform. They can be as simple as relationship building. With your employees, it can be investing in their education and training. You can’t be sure your employees will stay and that you will benefit from their new knowledge and skills, but you are willing to signal that their development is important to the organization.
A psychological approach to trust will tell you that trusting relationships are built slowly over time; but between organizations, research consistently finds that anticipated future longevity of a relationship – or the long-term vision of what lies ahead – is positively correlated to trust (Currall & Judge, 1995; Doney & Cannon, 1997; Ganesan, 1994; Sako & Helper,1998).
Competence and integrity can create institutional or relational trust. To move from trust based on a calculation to deeper trust, you must show benevolence.
Show benevolence
Research shows that waiters who suggest a lower-priced menu item when you ask for advice receive higher tips. Why? Because they appear to show benevolence. By removing the waiter’s perceived self-interest, he appears to be putting your needs before his and gains your trust, you reciprocate with a bigger tip. I’m not suggesting you fake this… I am just pointing out that it works.
Benevolence is the magic ingredient to trust. You could apply all the strategies we’ve discussed here but without benevolence, you’re just building confidence or reliability. Benevolence is going the extra mile for your partner. Guess what? It’s good for you too. It builds employee engagement, customer loyalty and can create value.
Are you flexible with your employees? How do you respond to their needs?
Do you partner in your community or have programs that positively impact your community? If you are partnering with an NFP, do they have equal power in the relationship? Are you helping to resolve social issues or are you exacerbating them?
Do you put customers’ needs ahead of profits? Is your organization sustainable? Basically, are you part of the problem or part of the solution… even when you don’t have to be?
Fortunately, we can easily think of many organizations that are exemplary in this regard. Consistently, they top the charts of best employers and most admired companies. You can be among them too!
Looking for more information on types of trust?
- 15 Facts about Trust is my most popular blog post. It’s been viewed more than 15,000 times.
- There’s also the soon to be updated 12 weeks to trust blog series that I wrote shortly after my grad research.
- 10 ethical decision rules to bullet-proof business also provides questions that prompt an ethical review, identify trust gaps and can create value in your organization.
In the end, it’s good that the Giving Tuesday panel only had three minutes to talk about trust. Otherwise we could have been there until lunch time – possibly dinner! That’s why I’m working on a trust-building workshop that will be ready in the Spring. Interested? I’d love to chat or read your comments.
Thank you for visiting Accolade!
Celebrate values, effort AND outcomes
Thoughtful, strategic – and often wildly successful – organizations carefully craft their culture. They think about the values, norms and behaviours they want to see and encourage them. They communicate values… often. They offer coaching. They incentivize and reward people who exemplify these behaviours.
So imagine how pleased I was when I attended my son’s school awards ceremony last 
week and saw how they are promoting values and behaviours. The night kicked off with awards related to how students approach their studies like curiosity and teamwork. There were awards for students who show awareness and interest in the global context and certificates for students who promote their faith, language and culture. (It’s a French catholic school in a predominantly English community).
My won the an award for “orientation in space and time.” This involves exploring personal histories; homes and journeys; turning points in humankind; discoveries; explorations and migrations of humankind; the relationships between, and the interconnectedness of, individuals and civilizations, from personal, local and global perspectives. WOW! Who knew the kid who’s a bear in the morning is a master of time and space? (He is enjoying a bit of ribbing on that front.)
Before the awards for highest grades in each subject, there were awards for students who exemplify the International Baccalaureate student profile:
- Inquiring minds
- Knowledgeable
- Thinkers
- Communicators
- Principled
- Open-minded
- Caring
- Risk-takers
- Balanced
- Reflective
Picture a gymnasium full of junior-high and high-school kids cheering wildly for empathy and integrity!
It was amazing to hear the students cheer for one another. Picture a gym full of junior and high-school kids cheering wildly for empathy and integrity. Imagine if society valued teamwork, curiosity, reflexion, perseverance as much as we do wealth and celebrity. Think about how easy it would be to do something like this in your workplace.
Critics will argue that this is the equivalent of a participation ribbon for every kid, but these kids are nominated by their teachers for consistently modelling a specific aptitude or behaviour. Many kids are nominated but only a few receive the certificate. It’s a prime example of appreciative inquiry – identifying a positive behaviour to get more of it. (And, so what if we recognize something of value in every kid?)
In the workplace, you can think of it as inexpensive and effective risk-management. Not only do you encourage positive, productive behaviour, you reduce destructive behaviour. Wouldn’t Volkswagen be better off if they had shown more integrity? Wouldn’t the global financial crisis been averted – or at least mitigated- if Wall Street wasn’t obsessed with short term results or if it had thought broadly of the human and financial impacts of their deceit? What does scandal cost? The ethics are as old as Aristotle but the integrated thinking and the systems approach is fairly new to business, and we need more of it.
It’s not an “either-or” proposition. In this model both positive behaviour AND achievement are recognized. The approach tells the kids early on that it’s not just the outcome that matters, but how you get there. It reminds me of Chris Hadfield’s book, An astronaut’s guide to life on earth. In it, Cmdr. Hadfield points out that temperament, teamwork and preparation matter. Many people are fit enough, smart enough, talented enough to be astronauts but do you want to live six months in space with a bunch of jerks? Do you think people behave optimally without reflexion, open-mindedness, empathy and communication?
In life, no one will ever ask you about your marks in grade Grade 11 chemistry. They will want to see how you applied that knowledge. They will notice your work ethic. They will want you to think broadly. Many people don’t have the best grades but are more adept at applying what they know or their approach brings out the best performance in a team. We need to recognize and celebrate those attributes.
Bravo les Chevaliers!
Big Dreams. Hard Work. No Excuses.
How do you become an astronaut when you’re born before space travel? How do you build a real-estate empire when you’re born in a refugee camp and married off at the age of 15? Two women I’ve met in the last few weeks set their sights on an “impossible” dream and achieved it. How? Big Dreams. Hard Work. No Excuses.
“We should never reach our potential. It should keep moving and evolving,” said
Dr. Roberta Bondar, Canada’s first woman in space, urges UofG audience to keep learning, to keep pushing boundaries and to be creative
Roberta Bondar at a University of Guelph MA Leadership event earlier this month. Canada’s first woman in space- and the world’s first neurologist in space- was born before Sputnik. Her high school guidance councillors discouraged her from pursuing science. The traditional fighter-pilot route to space was closed to women who could not be Air Force pilots in until 1988. After 18 years in university and in medical practice for only 18 months, she could easily have pursued her life on earth… couldn’t she?
“You have to take what you know into the field and keep building on it,” Dr. Bondar explained. So, insatiably curious and always open to new opportunities, she applied for the space program when NASA put out a call for astronauts. Selected among thousands of candidates, her training started in 1984 and culminated with eight days in space aboard Discovery in January, 1992. The research she conducted during that time now helps astronauts spend more time in space. Now, her earthly mission is to get more people to connect with the natural environment – primarily through photography.
Showing an image of a massive space rock and astronauts figuring out how to get over or around it, Dr. Bondar challenged the audience: “Is this an obstruction or an opportunity? Don’t think negatively or you’ll never get around the rock.”
Millionaire developer, author and real-estate magnate Tahani Abudareh reinforced this sentiment just a few days later when I heard her speak at a women’s networking event. Praphrasing Jim Rohn she said:
“The person who really wants to do something finds a way. The other person finds an excuse.” “What is your excuse?” she prodded. Is it 100% true? What is the opposite of that excuse? Replace it with a new truth.
Tahani Abudareh speaks to Guelph Women in Networking in November, challenging them to set larger goals.
Born in a Jordanian refugee camp and married to a Canadian man at the age of 15, Abudareh came to Canada not knowing anything about the country, her new family or the language. She said she had every reason not to dream big. “Who am I to dream big? My English isn’t good enough. It’s not part of my culture. I don’t have time while going to college, raising a family, and working part-time to send money to my family in the Middle East.” But she persevered in the belief that education would be her salvation.
“Set a goal in your mind. Now think bigger. Now think bigger still,” Abudareh challenged the audience. She explained that after divorcing her husband she had to feed her children and make her way in the world. She wanted not just to survive but to thrive for them so she convinced local homebuilders to let her be their agent. She said she would work harder for the sales than anyone else because she was the most motivated. Within a few years, sales were flourishing and she had started to build up her portfolio of investment properties. She is a teacher, a speaker, an investor, an author and a champion for women.
“The little girl from the refugee camp builds houses,” she says and shared her goal of helping 100,000 women own their first investment property. Echoing some of the advice shared by Dr. Bondar, Abudareh says the recipe is simple:
Take action. Be creative. Find the best in your field and ask them for advice. When someone helps you, they become committed to your success. And if they won’t help you? Move on and ask someone else. Believe that you’re worth it.
It’s easy to sit in the audience and think these are unique stories; but are they extraordinary? Are they unbelievable? Obviously they are believable… they happened. Do they have to be out of the ordinary? From space to real estate, the message is that achievement can- and should be- ordinary and believable. Similar to the conclusion drawn in The Confidence Code, you just have to go for it.
What’s holding you back?
