
Lost Trust
Do I Trust Them?
How team members gain or lose my trust
Nine Foundations of Trust
1. Care: I feel they care about me and my team.
2. Affiliation: I feel connected to them and that we share many values.
3. Appreciation: I feel that my contribution is understood and valued by them.
4. Autonomy: I have the freedom to express my opinion, make decisions, and work without being micromanaged.
5. Sincerity: I believe they are transparent and honest.
6. Fairness: I feel equitably treated and that they make fair decisions.
7. Reliability (Yours): I believe they will honor the commitments they make to me.
8. Team Reliability (Through Managing Others): I believe their team will fulfill their commitments on time.
9. Capability: I believe they have the skills, decision-making capabilities and resources to fulfill their role.
1. Care: I feel they care about me and my team.
They dig for my underlying interests and concerns. (SLI 2.3)
They empathize with me and notice my emotions. (SLI 2.5)
They listen in a way that I feel heard. (SLI 2.6)
They stay present and avoid cell phone and computer distractions. (SLI 4.2)
They coach, challenge and support me to develop my skills and career. (SLI 7.5)
They do not talk negatively behind my back (no triangulation). When they have an issue, they speak directly to me. (SLI 7.7)
2. Affiliation: I feel connected to them and that we share many values.
They are approachable and open to critical feedback on their ideas, decisions and leadership style. Willing to learn from mistakes. (SLI 2.2)
They draw the quiet people out. (SLI 4.4)
They brainstorm with me to generate creative solutions. (SLI 4.5)
They motivate me to bring my best and strive for excellence. (SLI 7.1)
When I am failing, they offer support and resources (instead of beating me up). (SLI 7.3)
3. Appreciation: I feel that my contribution is understood and valued by them.
They communicate and break down the vision so that I see how I fit in. (SLI 1.2)
When tasks are completed, they give me helpful feedback (both positive and negative). (SLI 6.7)
They offer frequent and genuine appreciation for my contributions. (SLI 7.2)
They debrief issues. Assumes positive intent and helps me learn from mistakes. (SLI 7.4)
4. Autonomy: I have the freedom to express my opinion, make decisions, and work without being micromanaged.
They renegotiate priorities with me when things change. Does not pile on new objectives without reprioritizing old ones. (SLI 1.5)
They embrace creative conflict. Does not shy away from passionate debate. (SLI 4.3)
They include the right people in decision-making. (SLI 5.1)
They proactively inform me when impacted by decisions. (SLI 5.7)
They allow me to fulfill my role and make decisions without micromanaging me. (SLI 6.5)
5. Sincerity: I believe they are transparent and honest.
They clearly express where they stand on issues. (SLI 3.1)
They share their opinions and concerns, even if unpopular or lacking certainty. (SLI 3.2)
They address challenging issues promptly. They name the elephant in the room. (SLI 3.4)
They give honest feedback. They share their perspective when they are dissatisfied with my work. (SLI 3.5)
They clean up issues with me. They do not harbor resentment. (SLI 3.6)
6. Fairness: I feel equitably treated and that they make fair decisions.
They bring curiosity and willingness to be influenced. (SLI 2.1)
They listen to ideas fairly, regardless of who is presenting them. (SLI 2.4)
They own their opinions as opinions. Does not position their opinions as facts to prove their point. (SLI 3.3)
They have sufficient understanding of an issue and my opinions before advocating for a specific solution. (SLI 4.6)
They consider my opinions and concerns before deciding. Respects my role and expertise. (SLI 5.2)
They make good and timely decisions. They take appropriate risks even if all the information is not available. (SLI 5.4)
7. Reliability (Yours): I believe they will honor the commitments they make to me.
They are clear when a decision is made and ensure full group alignment. Even if they would have made a different decision, they “disagree and commit.” (SLI 5.5)
They ensure commitments to me are clear, realistic, and agreed upon (who is doing what by when). (SLI 6.1)
They do what they say they will do. They follow up. (SLI 6.2)
They renegotiate when commitments are in jeopardy. They avoid surprising me with bad news or last-minute delays. (SLI 6.4)
8. Team Reliability (Through Managing Others): I believe their team will fulfill their commitments on time.
They establish clear next steps. (SLI 5.6)
They track progress on commitments and ensure completion. (SLI 6.3)
They hold people accountable. When commitments are missed, they discuss what went wrong and get a new commitment. (SLI 6.6)
They ensure the right person is in the role, moving or letting people go when it’s the wrong fit. (SLI 6.8)
9. Capability: I believe they have the skills, decision-making capabilities and resources to fulfill their role.
They embody and share a compelling vision of the future. (SLI 1.1)
They establish clear roadmaps that define the milestones & short-term future. (SLI 1.3)
They establish clear priorities so that I know what to work on. (SLI 1.4)
They establish key metrics and indicators to stay on track. (SLI 1.6)
They lead effective meetings. Clarifies the objectives and avoids unnecessary rabbit holes. (SLI 4.1)
They have a bias for action. Willing to try out ideas and see what is learned, eg. rapid prototyping. (SLI 5.3)
They lead effective 1-on-1’s. (SLI 7.6)
Trust and the SLI Leadership Micro-practices (45)
How team members gain or lose my trust -Do I trust them?
How people
EARN my trust
1 is not important
10 is very important
How people
LOSE my trust
1 is not important
10 is very important
CARE: I feel they care about me and my team.
AFFILIATION: I feel connected to them and that we share many values.
APPRECIATION: I feel that my contribution is understood and valued by them.
AUTONOMY: I have the freedom to express my opinion, make decisions, and work without being micromanaged.
SINCERITY: I believe they are transparent and honest.
FAIRNESS: I feel equitable treated and that they make fair decisions.
RELIABILITY (Yours): I believe they will honor the commitments they make to me.
TEAM RELIABILITY (Through Managing Others): I believe their team will fulfill their commitments on time.
CAPABILITY: I believe they have the skills, decision-making capabilities and resources to fulfill their role.