Generate conversation. Don’t deliver goals in email when you ask people to join team. Don’t put it in packet of materials people get when being hired. Make time to have conversation. The alignment we are searching for needs to be deep – almost visceral. Help individuals and team develop meaning and purpose. Help them understand how they can create work that matters.

Get team’s help. Get their input. Remember that you are trying to create alignment and agreement. When people have chance to shape goals of team and when they have opportunity to have input into those decisions they will have greater agreement with goals.

Provide a connection. Teams need someone in leadership “above” them that can provide support and resources, someone who can answer questions and keep them on track. Some people call this a team sponsor. The sponsor shouldn’t be on team; rather they provide leadership, support and connection. The sponsor keeps team from feeling like they are all alone.

Make them accountable. If alignment is clear and goals set, then team needs to be held accountable for results. In organizations where accountability has been lax in past, this may seem like a jolt, but it won’t be long before this accountability not only drives results but improves team dynamics too.

It is easy to see how these steps will help a team succeed – it is easier to do that when they know what success is. But more than helping them deliver a desired result, sense of clarity, meaning and direction that these steps create help teams get over many other hurdles that teams face in terms of commitment and “getting along” with each other.

Why?

Because people want to belong to something that matters, they want to be a part of making a difference. They want things to believe in. When we give them those things, collectively they will work through many personal issues and challenges and they also become more committed to end product.

As leaders we can help teams find these things, and at same time improve our likelihood of getting results we want. All it takes is effort, communication and commitment to help teams get aligned with most important goals of organization.

Kevin is Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group (http://KevinEikenberry.com), a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. To receive your free special report on “Unleashing Your Potential” go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/uypw/index.asp or call us at (317) 387-1424 or 888.LEARNER.

There are many ways to do this:

•Continuing education •On-going reading •Using your skills in volunteer or community organizations

…to name a few.

And as I mentioned before having expertise is important, but being perceived as having it matters much more. Perception is everything. It might not be fair, but it is how world works.

Changing perceptions, especially of people you have worked with for a long time, won’t happen overnight. But by consciously building your expertise and applying it whenever possible your influence will grow.

Trustworthiness

The other part of our credibility combination is being trustworthy. Building trust consists of many factors and, like expertise is about more than ourselves. While there are things we can do, it is how are actions are translated by others that is true measure of our trustworthiness.

Here are three things that you can do, starting today to build your trustworthiness, and therefore, your credibility.

Build rapport. In a situation where you want to influence others, don’t rush to that point too quickly. Build rapport by building your relationship with other person. You know how to do this, just remember how important it is.

Focus on them. Be interested in them. Understand their issues and concerns. We all want to feel important. We all want to be heard. By keeping your focus on other person you are serving yourself as well.

Be consistent. Build rapport in every situation. Be kind and thoughtful everyday. Consistency in our actions is a key trust component. We trust people when we know what to expect in their words and deeds. Be consistent.

Remember that in end, this is about perception - which means in a practical way that you can’t succeed by applying above suggestions as a ploy or a technique. These strategies work when they are done with sincerity and honor, and they will backfire if people feel you are using them as a way to manipulate them or a situation.

The good news is that by applying these approaches to build your trustworthiness you will likely be building your perceived expertise as well.

Credibility is a combination of expertise and trustworthiness, but those two components, aren’t completely distinct and different as described in mathematical formula described above. They can be built simultaneously by conscious and consistent focus.

And with that conscious focus and determined actions you can build your credibility - one of golden keys to unlock greater influence.

Kevin is Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group (http://KevinEikenberry.com), a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. To receive your free special report on “Unleashing Your Potential” go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/uypw/index.asp or call us at (317) 387-1424 or 888.LEARNER.