On Trust

Trust is a foundation for all relationships. It is therefore essential for business.

This is a primer on the concept of trust for software teams.

Trust is the currency of influence. Social influence is the defining practice of leadership. Leaders need trust to have influence and inspire action.

While this is obvious to some, I have observed time and again software teams where would-be leaders did not pay sufficient attention to trust and therefore did not have the influence required to improve their teams. The teams suffered.

Clients only engage consultants whom they trust. Team members must trust each other to work together.

Trust is well understood to be engendered by 3 things:

  • authenticity
  • logic
  • empathy

That is, if I sense that you are being authentic, and I believe that your logical reasoning has rigor, and I perceive that your empathy is directed toward me, then I will very likely trust you. If I do not perceive all of these things, then my trust of you is threatened.

To build and maintain trust with another, ask yourself:

  1. Have my behaviours been consistent with someone who is empathetic with the other? What have I done to display this? Have I listened to them? Can they see that I have listened?
  2. Have I communicated my reasoning sufficiently well? Is it rigorous?
  3. Have I been true to myself and my ideas; have I been authentic and congruent in my interactions?

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