A friend of mine gave me some sound advice one time and that was, “Trust people, but trust them to be who they are.” This piece of advice has served me many times in my personal and business life. I like to look at the good in people and I also like to pay attention to their gifts. It’s also critical to look at the ways they consistently fall down and prepare for that reality and how it might affect you.

As an example, one of my people in my sales team always has a new and great idea for selling more. I have learned that he always produces more when he implements that idea, but it’s always short lived. Rather than chiding him for his fall back, I encourage “new ideas” with him as often as possible. I realize, after years in the sales training business, that his higher production comes from the energy of the new idea itself as opposed to it working in a new and magical way.

In my management of this individual I know I can trust that his overall numbers will be higher if this string of new ideas flows. Yet every time he shares a new one with me he tries to convince me that “this is the one.” If I trusted what he said, rather than what I know, I would be disappointed again and again when his numbers fell. Instead, I trust him to be who he is and I make that work better rather than trying to encourage him to change.

I read a story of a campus that built on a new massive section and they put grass between the buildings with no side walks. When the students had tromped down consistent “paths” they then had their map of where the sidewalks needed to be.  Trust people, but trust them to be who they are.