When leaders cultivate trust with each other and in the communities in which they serve, they are really cultivating the conditions to create real impact for families. 

Aspen Institute Vice President and Ascend Founder and Executive Director Anne Mosle sat down with Allyn Brooks-LaSure, Vice President of Communications at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), to explore what trust means for organizations and individuals working for and with families – and the importance of building trust in our polarized times. 

What is trust? To Mosle, trust is having credibility, showing reliability, and building a deep relationship that is about more than just a transactional dynamic. Trust is knowing someone centers a community’s best interests and dreams, and will deliver on promises made. To Brooks-LaSure, trust is about trustworthiness: earning and maintaining a credible bond. For both, trust is critical for the conditions of working for and with families on prosperity and well-being. 

An opportunity: Creating Trust to Advance Goals For and With Families

Leaders and institutions that are able to earn the trust of individuals, families, and communities have a huge opportunity to collaborate and create change. That trust allows leaders to make bold innovations and take risks with leeway to not always get everything 100% right, because people understand their intentions and aims.

Some How-Tos on Building Trust from Ascend & RWJF

Say it and mean it

Put values first – in uncertain times, turning back to what drives us as individuals or organizations is powerful. It’s authentic. It’s trustworthy because we are reminding our audience who we are rather than trying to be something new or different. Remaining steadfast in a mission shows consistency: people trust consistency. 

As Brooks-LaSure said of RWJF’s strategy to move forward in creating health equity for all, “[Our] first question is, is this a bold leap?…Are we really working to transform health, or are we just working on the margins and on the edges? And this future, where health is no longer a privilege but a right, is the work that we’re doing, bringing us closer to that, or is it taking us further away?…Trust boils down to saying what you mean, and meaning what you say, and then doing it right.” 

Say it, and do it

Words are powerful, but actions matter more than the words themselves – a principle that is tried and tested over time, and is absolutely foundational. No matter what vocabulary we use, we have to follow through on our promises, going beyond words to actions. If we’re not acting in a way that’s keeping faith with our words, people will notice and remember it. Making and keeping small promises offers a way forward to create, and where necessary, rebuilds trust.

Say it plainly and compellingly

A big part in earning trust is making promises and sharing values that are comprehensible. A simple explanation of a term or principle without getting tied up in semantics or lightning-rod acronyms can help expand understanding of, engagement with, and trust in a concept. As Brooks-LaSure illustrated, the term Medicaid may not resonate with people on a local level, but most individuals will be supportive when discussing the state-specific program name. Understandable terminology helps people connect why a program like Medicaid benefits them – they recognize that a healthier community is a more prosperous one, even when big policies feel out of reach.

Say it with values at the fore

People want to see evidence backing up claims on systems, policies, and even in everyday life. But what is evidence, and whose evidence do we trust? Trying to make a point with data alone leaves people guessing at the source and credibility; yet leaving out the data and only telling a story puts too much emphasis on narrative. As Brooks-LaSure said, to find the right balance, lead with values. People will support a story that they see themselves in, and when that story involves people that look or live or pray differently, focusing on common values and a common future is the way forward. When we break it down to values, everyone can support creating a better future for our children and grandchildren and where communities thrive.

Say it together

Data and a story are important: but we can’t get anywhere without our community. That requires communicating with internal audiences like staff, but also truly connecting with the individuals and families you are working with. True connection is about dialogue and gathering real community insight, not just higher-level data, to steer our actions.

Mosle described when an Ascend Fellow was working with a community and kept falling short of her anticipated results for months and months and for trial after trial of a program: “They finally had a breakthrough and she asked her client, Why did it work this time? And she said, Because you finally asked me what my goals were.” 

Say it – even when it’s uncomfortable

Sometimes honesty is awkward, but embracing that tension can be a superpower. Pretending all is well with the world and ignoring, for example, uncertainty or political divides, can feel out-of-touch. Avoidance offers the illusion that an organization is not tuned in or even unaware of a wider situation – undermining credibility.

Tension forces us to acknowledge different points of view. Without it, we can end up with blind agreement that may feel easy to go along with, but lacks genuine trust rooted in community and fulfilment. 

As Mosle and Brooks-LaSure highlight, now is a moment of opportunity for fostering trust. While trust takes time to grow, investing in trustworthiness creates more opportunities to be bold, innovate, and find support for the better future we all want to build for families.