Trust is an ephemeral thing. Sometimes hard to describe, harder to quantify.
And yet, every relationship – professional and personal – is transformed when trust becomes the guiding force in that relationship.I think of an interview Adam Bryant, former columnist of the New York Times Business Section’s inspired Corner Office column, conducted with Tobi Luetke a few years back. Luetke is the young, German-born founder and CEO of Shopify, an e-commerce software company. Luetke holds a personal net worth of US $ 1.2 Billion. One of his secrets? At Shopify, they get explicit about trust.We talk a lot about something called a ‘trust battery,’ Luetke tells Bryant. It’s charged at 50% when people are first hired. And then every time you work with someone at the company, the trust battery between the two of you is either charged or discharged, based on things like whether you deliver on what you promise. (NY Times, 4/24/2016)At Shopify, the notion of charging the trust battery is not just a cute little phrase - it’s an integral part of the work culture.We decided to create a metaphor, Tobi elaborates, so that we can talk about this in performance reviews without people feeling like the criticisms are personal.Marvelous.A metaphor awash with brilliant allusions. A battery becomes depleted and needs to be charged. Most of us desire a long battery life. It behooves us to notice when a battery isn’t charged. If we don’t notice, trouble ensues. Clear, right?Trust is not a fixed, static entity. There is no neutral, no holding pattern when it comes to trust. Our actions either charge or deplete the battery. Desire more success? Start to view yourself as a trust charger. It puts you into the driver seat for shaping the underlying and often invisible dynamics in any relationship.Related:
Bust These 4 Myths to Be Authentic Because each relationship is different, start with a little reflection to better understand how you currently charge or discharge trust:
1. How do I experience the notions of “charge” and “trust? - For example: Charging, feeling charged, intentionally charging another person are more than nice ideas. How do you FEEL when you are charged, when your battery is full? How do you EXPERIENCE this sensation in your body, in your thoughts?- Tip: When we know what it feels like, we have a better sense of what it is we’re seeking to invoke. And we have a better notion of when we’ve been successful!
2. What are 3 everyday behaviors I already engage in that charge the battery? - For example: I genuinely praise colleagues or team members when they have done a great job.- Tip: Do it more often, with more people
. 3. What are 3 behaviors I engage in that tend to deplete the battery ? - For example: I give one set of instructions, and when I have a new insight I change my instructions and give new guidance.- Tip: Think things through more thoroughly before giving instructions to your colleagues so you
don’t become the leader who is constantly “changing his mind”and driving folks bonkers.Yes, trust is ephemeral, but it is fueled by our simple everyday behaviors.
How would you fare in the annual Shopify Trust-Battery-Review? Conduct your own trust-performance-reviews. Don’t conduct them merely once a year, conduct them often. Make them an integral part of how you “do relationships.” You will be amazed at just how quickly the batteries get charged.Theirs. And yours.Charge on.
