The Math of Trust

We didn’t expect Will Smith to slap Chris Rock at the Oscars. We don’t expect our normally supportive boss to throw us under the bus. I didn’t expect the tire shop to damage my wheel while they were swapping out my snow tires for summer tires. And yet sometimes these things happen and they cause us to reflect and perhaps even reevaluate the relationships we have.

The Principle

Expectation + Experience = Trust

When a person or organization sets a positive expectation based on their stated values and beliefs, and our experience matches that expectation, trust is built or maintained. On the other hand, when that positive expectation doesn’t match our experience, trust begins to erode or becomes difficult to establish.

The Practice

Aligning the expectations we set with the experiences we provide is a building block of trust. Here are a couple of ideas to get you thinking about how you can practice this principle:

1. Consider what you tell people you believe in or stand for. Then, work each day to live in alignment with those beliefs.

2. Notice when the experience you provide is a mismatch with the expectation you’ve set. Recognition is the first step. I’ll share more about how to address it in another message, coming soon.

Till next time,?

dm