⫹⫺ Trust, Meaning & Simplicity
Hello my friends,
Internal politics and strategic misalignments are lingering symptoms of modern office culture.
A couple of months ago I was talking to a mentor of mine and we discussed how most interrelationship issues stem from a lack of trust.
Working from home has made building and maintaining trust evermore challenging; nevermind onboarding new employees or starting in a new company yourself.
But of course, there is a formula that can help.
The Trust Equation
The Trust Equation was first described by David Maister in his book "The Trusted Advisor". Maister’s framework provides a practical approach:
What it means and how you can use it to your advantage.
Credibility is the words we say on a particular topic → Read intensely about your area of expertise, know its history, ask more experienced leaders questions.
Reliability has to do with actions → Find opportunities to prove that you are reliable. Answer e-mails immediately with: "Working on it, I will come back to you". Be responsive. If you say "I'll send this by 5 pm", send it by 5 pm.
Intimacy refers to the security we feel when entrusting another person → Look for opportunities to find common ground with people. Ask how their weekend was. Talk about what you like to do in your free time.
Self-orientation is a person’s focus and refers to that focus being on themselves → When asking for help or information don't give the impression that it's a one-way street. You never know who you will be dealing with in the future.
Next time you face a challenge, reduce it to first principles and I can almost guarantee it will come down to trust — or a lack thereof.
I’ve found The Trust Equation an infallible pain killer.
Thanks for reading. Your trust means a lot.
Let’s get into it,
— Andy
Last Week’s Numbers
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People
A fascinating paper on the meaning of work: “I’m Not Mopping the Floors, I’m Putting a Man on the Moon”
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Methods
In business you have to be able to make fast and accurate decisions. Used by U.S. Air Force pilots, the Ooda Loop is an interactive feedback model that will help you do this.
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The unprecedented vaccine response to Covid could be the first sign that there are cracks in the great stagnation.
Out of Office
Zoom fatigue is real.
This tool allows you to escape by self sabotaging your connection.
The internet always wins.
