I am headed down to Princeton University again tomorrow and part of our discussion will be about trust. I love this topic although I find it quite nebulous. I believe the quote goes something like, “It takes years to build, seconds to breaks, and forever to repair.” Talking about stressful!

Today, I think it’s healthy to look at our relationships, and ask ourselves, “What is my trust level with this person.” If you’re a 10 out of 10 with someone, no further work is required, but if you’re at say a 5, there is clearly room for improvement. At work, lack of trust really causes productivity (and happiness, btw) to collapse. Is a healthy conversation about this lack of trust worth your while? Perhaps so.

The second question is, “Do your co-workers trust YOU?” Trust does go both ways. Often at work, lack of trust can simply be about delivering on time—it isn’t (usually) something far more nefarious—so don’t be afraid to have the conversation. We might not even use the word “trust,” but something far more safe like, “Can I count on you to meet the deadline?” Open communication and matching words with actions are two really big ways we build trust. And the more trust we have, the less stress we have, so it’s worth it.

Let’s GO! WE GOT THIS!
Beth Fitzgerald