Our work and our leadership teams depend on trust. Really, all relationships depend on trust.
You can call it psychological safety and many other things, but Patrick Lencioni nailed it when he said the base of all great relationships begins with trust.
It seems underwhelming to say, but it’s where it all begins and what determines whether we work through difficult conversations with grace or challenge.
When you begin relationships, there are two approaches. One is to assume trust and the other is to determine if it’s earned (determine whether others are trustworthy).
If your default approach is to assume trust, you enter with the assuming you’re beginning at 100% and any actions and conversations confirm or remove trust over time.
If your default approach is to see if it’s earned, you watch and learn as the relationship unfolds and it adds or subtracts from where you began.
Neither approach is better or worse, you just need to know where you’re beginning from so you don’t assume the other(s) approach it the same way.
Misreading how you’re approaching the relationship this is the beginning of misunderstanding.