Impact of Informal Interactions on Professional Trust

The most productive meetings happen outside the conference room. As project managers, we often focus on scheduled meetings: → Status updates → Sprint reviews → Stakeholder check-ins However, some of the most impactful moments happen outside these formal settings. The spontaneous conversations in the hallway, the quick chats at lunch, and the casual talks around the coffee pot often make the biggest difference. Here's why: 1/ Building Relationships: → Informal moments create opportunities to connect with your team personally, beyond the agenda. → Trust is built over time, and these casual exchanges are a great way to strengthen that bond. → When relationships are solid, collaboration becomes easier and more natural. 2/ Gathering Insights: → People are often more candid outside formal meetings, sharing ideas they might hesitate to bring up in front of a group. → Informal conversations often spark creative solutions that structured meetings miss. → When relaxed, team members can offer genuine feedback that can guide project success. 3/ Preventing Issues: → Addressing potential concerns early in informal chats helps prevent them from becoming bigger problems later. → These conversations allow individuals to speak up before risks or misalignments snowball. → By catching issues early, you can adjust the course without major disruptions. 4/ Creating a Safe Space: → Off-the-record discussions encourage honesty, helping people voice concerns without fear of judgment. → Informal settings can bring valuable insights that team members might hold back during formal meetings. → Fostering a comfortable environment makes it easier for everyone to share their thoughts. Next time you step away from your desk, keep an ear open. Those hallway conversations might be just what you need to move your project forward. Agree?

CBS is canceling The Late Show with Stephen Colbert for financial reasons (wink, wink). Given the current climate of institutional pressure and media capitulation, that seems fishy. Regardless, the timing speaks volumes about how institutional behavior affects trust. After years of conversations in life sciences and marketing, I’ve noticed the path to trust isn't through control, but more so through shifting the context from institutional to personal. I've seen this in my "walk and talk" videos with life science marketers and scientists. These conversations, recorded while casually walking outdoors, consistently generate deeper engagement than other formats. I’m sure part of it is the novelty of the informal outdoor setting. But there's something more to it. When you change the physical context of a conversation, you change its emotional context too. Just as a late-night talk show guest sharing a personal story creates a different connection than their movie trailer, watching someone walk and talk about their work feels fundamentally different from seeing their corporate presentation. That shift mirrors how we build trust in human relationships. We don't trust people solely because of their credentials or their perfect product description. We trust them because we see glimpses of them as people, their thinking process, and the context around their work. Going back to Colbert and late-night TV: Sure, guests are there to promote their work, but the connection happens when the conversation moves past “the product”. When an actor shares a story about their childhood, or a scientist shares the origin of their passion, we want to know more. Where will influence come from in an age of declining trust for institutions? The more institutions try to control their message, the more they undermine their own influence. At the same time, individuals and brands willing to shift the context to show the human side and their process through informal conversations have an opportunity to build stronger, deeper trust. This has been playing out across media. While major institutions clamp down, one can see the trend toward individual voices building engaged audiences through podcasts, Substacks, and YouTube channels. For those of us in life sciences, this presents a challenge and an opportunity. The challenge is getting comfortable with loosening the grip and showing more of the process and the people behind it. The opportunity is the chance to build deeper, more authentic connections by deliberately shifting contexts. Sometimes that means taking a walk with a camera rolling. Sometimes it means sharing the thinking process behind a decision, not just the outcome. The institutions that succeed in this new era won't be the ones with the tightest control. They'll be the ones with the courage to let people speak, to show their human side, and to trust that authentic connection garners more influence than packaged perfection.

During an interview today, I was inspired by a comment from the candidate: "I’d say sweat the small stuff when it comes to your team and building relationships." This sentiment truly resonated with me, as it highlights a crucial element of fostering meaningful connections in a professional setting. "Sweating the small stuff" emphasises the importance of paying attention to the finer details in building genuine relationships. It’s about recognizing that small, thoughtful gestures and interactions can significantly enhance the quality and depth of our connections with others. You don’t have to change a great deal in terms of your current approach; we already have frequent conversations during our days. This just emphasizes the need to listen more closely and pay attention to the finer details. 🗣️👂 Here are some examples: 💬❤️*Personal Check-Ins:* Asking questions like “How are you feeling today?” or “What’s been on your mind recently?” demonstrates genuine interest in someone’s well-being and builds a deeper personal connection. 🎯✨*Understanding Motivations:* Inquiring about what inspires or drives someone, such as “What aspects of your work are you most passionate about?” or “What goals are you aiming for right now?” helps in understanding their values and aspirations, which strengthens the bond between individuals. 🌟👏*Recognising Contributions:* Noticing and acknowledging small achievements or efforts, like thanking someone for their unique perspective or complimenting their creative approach, shows that you value their contributions and are attentive to the details that matter to them. 🛠️*Addressing Small Concerns:* Taking the time to address minor issues or misunderstandings, such as checking in on a recent concern they’ve mentioned or offering support with a small challenge, helps in maintaining trust and shows that you are engaged and supportive. Focusing on these details can lead to: 🔗💖*Deeper Connections:* Small, thoughtful interactions build a foundation of trust and understanding, leading to more authentic and meaningful relationships. 💙🌱*Increased Empathy:* Demonstrating genuine care and interest in the personal aspects of someone’s life fosters empathy and strengthens relational bonds. 📈🗨️*Enhanced Communication:* Paying attention to the nuances in conversations and interactions improves the quality of communication and helps in addressing needs and concerns more effectively. 🌟🤝*A More Supportive Environment:*By focusing on the small, yet significant aspects of relationship building, you create an environment where people feel valued and respected, enhancing overall engagement and collaboration. In essence, sweating the small stuff in relationship building underscores the value of genuine, everyday interactions. It’s a reminder that deep, meaningful connections are often forged through the thoughtful attention we give to the little things that matter most. 💬💪 and please remember this takes time. ⏰

Trust is built through small, consistent interactions. I was coaching a leader today who realized their efforts to implement a new business approach and processes have shifted their team culture to be fully task-focused. They are feeling less connected to their people and sense they don't truly know how people feel at work. Do team members feel engaged? Are they motivated to do their work? Do they trust the direction the leadership is going? This is such an important awareness this leader tuned into. Interpersonal connection creates a foundation of trust to get the work done even more efficiently and collaboratively. The good news is that trust can be strengthened through small, consistent behaviors. A few steps to boost trust and connection with a team in small ways: 🌟 Acknowledge the current reality and the shift you want to see. Own up to the way you have contributed to a culture that has not invested in helping people feel socially connected. Share the kind of culture you want to move toward creating, where people feel seen and engaged. 🌟 Create regular rhythms. Build moments to personally connect into pre-existing rhythms. A few examples are: 🙌 Start meetings with a space to share weekly wins. What do people want to celebrate? 🙌 Do an online check in at the start of the day. If you primarily interact online, ask people to share a word about how they're feeling that day or a highlight from their week so far. 🙌 Plan in-person check ins. If you work in-person or in a hybrid environment, intentionally set days/times to walk through the physical space when your people are in, so you can see how they're doing. 🙌 If you're fully digital, consider integrating a personal check in at the beginning of regular one-on-one meetings. 🙌 Let team members share. This could be as simple as taking two minutes to answer a question like, "What is one work accomplishment you're most proud of?" or "You can come to me for help with..." in the chat or an in-person meeting. 🌟 Assess your system. If senior leaders model only talking about tasks, if people are rewarded only for completing tasks, if the majority of meetings focus only around tasks, then your system will not support efforts to value and grow the people doing those tasks. Consider how to model, reward, and talk about social connections. How else do you create trust-building rhythms in your teams and organizations? #leadership #connection #trustiskey __________________________________ If you're looking for support to help your organization build trust and create rhythms and systems that build psychological safety and innovation, let's connect!

Why Small Talk with a CEO Isn’t Small at All Some of the most entertaining and revealing conversations I’ve had as a CEO didn’t happen in boardrooms; they happened in hallways, at branch mixers, in the quiet moments before a customer activity. A simple “how are you sir” often carries much weight. Employees don’t just make small talk. It is much more than that. They signal trust, test psychological safety, and seek recognition. A compliment about a recent talk? A mention of a team experiment? A bid to be seen. These moments aren’t distractions, they’re valuable information. They show who feels safe, and who’s still holding back. Research confirms it: informal communication shapes culture and engagement, and it sets the emotional tone. So I made myself available. I go around. I smile and listen. Not just to what’s said, but how it’s said. I encourage when they hesitate. Because for most employees, leadership isn’t just about strategy, it’s about presence. And presence is often measured in the smallest exchanges. And documented with pictures. #PsychologicalSafety #Presence #LeadershipSignals #OrganizationalDevelopment #SymbolicLeadership #CEOInsights #CultureByDesign #SmallTalkBigImpact #MentoringMoments

Do people like working with you? Maybe you never asked yourself that question. Maybe you never needed to in the past. This is changing. In today’s collaborative, fast-paced, and often remote environments, your ability to build trust and connection affects how your work gets done and how others experience working with you. You DON'T need to be outgoing, people-pleasing, always available, or even universally liked. You DO need to be intentional in how you engage, so you are remembered (positively) for how you make others feel. 💡 Try these: - Remember details and follow up: “How did that conversation/meeting/interview go?” - Offer help before being asked: “I’ve worked with that team before if it helps to compare notes.” - Acknowledge effort in real time: “That slide deck took a lot of time and we didn't give you much. Thank you. ” - Giving others credit and authentic praise when deserved When this becomes part of how you operate, people feel respected, seen, and valued and that changes how they respond to you. The bonus: Professionals who build relationships with intention tend to: 🏆 Get better, faster collaboration from peers and stakeholders 🏆 Navigate organizational politics with less friction 🏆 Recover trust more quickly when tensions run high 🏆 Gain informal influence, even without formal authority In today’s complex and interdependent workplace, the strength of your relationships directly shapes the quality of your outcomes. Whether you’re leading, collaborating, or navigating uncertainty, the trust you’ve built becomes a key factor in how effectively things get done. #RelationshipBuilding, #Trust, #Collaboration, #SoftSkills, #TeamDynamics, #ContextualAgility Skiilify

🌟 The Power of Coffee in Career Growth ☕ During a recent meeting with a group of bright young leaders, one of them asked me an interesting question: “Can you share an action you took that significantly impacted your career?” I smiled and replied, “I drank lots of bad coffee.” ☕ Of course, my answer wasn’t just about the coffee itself, but what it represented. Early in my career, I spent several years in Paris, working at a French office. There, the coffee machine wasn’t just a place to grab a quick espresso—it was the heartbeat of the office. Gathering around the coffee machine became an invaluable opportunity to meet new colleagues, exchange ideas, 💡 share best practices, and learn from others’ experiences. These informal interactions helped me build relationships, 🤝 gain insights, and strengthen my network—all of which had a profound impact on my personal and professional growth. This experience taught me an important lesson: sometimes, the small, everyday actions—like a simple coffee chat—can create the biggest ripple effects in your career. 🌊 💡 But in today’s world of hybrid work, these moments don’t come as naturally. That’s why it’s more important than ever to be intentional about connecting with others. Even if it’s a virtual coffee ☕ over Zoom or Teams, the spirit remains the same: curiosity, openness, and genuine connection can still fuel incredible growth. 🚀 So, my advice to anyone starting their journey is this: embrace those informal moments—whether they’re in person or virtual. Be curious. Reach out. Connect with others. Even bad coffee can lead to great conversations and opportunities! 🌟 #Networking #Leadership #CareerGrowth #HybridWork

Trust isn't built in big moments. It's earned in these tiny interactions: People decide whether to trust you within milliseconds, but trust is built over months. Every small interaction either deposits or withdraws from your trust account. 9 Micro-Moments That Build Trust 🤝 1) Do exactly what you say you'll do, when you said you'd do it  ↳ Your word becomes your bond. Reliability creates confidence. 2) Admit when you don't know something  ↳ "I don't know, but I'll find out" builds more trust than fake expertise. 3) Give credit to others proactively  ↳ "Sarah's research made this possible" shows character and generosity. 4) Follow up without being asked  ↳ "Checking in on how that presentation went..." shows genuine care. 5) Remember details from previous conversations  ↳ "How's your mom's recovery going?" shows you listen and care. 6) Apologize quickly when you make mistakes  ↳ "I was wrong about that timeline. Here's the correction..." builds integrity. 7) Keep confidences that are shared with you  ↳ Never repeat what was told to you in confidence. Trust spreads through reputation. 8) Ask for their input on decisions that affect them  ↳ "What's your take on this approach?" shows respect for their judgment. 9) Be the same person in different contexts  ↳ Authenticity across settings builds deep trust. Trust is your most valuable professional currency. Invest in it daily ✨ Which micro-moment will you focus on building this week? -- ♻️ Repost to help your network build stronger trust with others  🔔 Follow me Dr. Carolyn Frost for more on building professional credibility

Silence speaks volumes. Think back. When was the last time a colleague dropped by just to chat? No agenda. No meeting invite. Just a spontaneous conversation. Weeks? Days? Or mere hours ago? This simple act, or lack thereof, is a profound barometer of your workplace culture. It's about more than just being friendly—it's about the openness, the trust, and the connections that define the environment in which we spend a significant portion of our lives. A culture where team members feel comfortable engaging in casual dialogue is one that fosters creativity, collaboration, and, most importantly, well-being. It's a sign of a healthy work environment where people feel valued not just for their output but for who they are. Conversely, a lack of informal interaction could signal a need for a deeper look at our workspaces. Are we cultivating an atmosphere where people feel like mere cogs in a machine? Or are we nurturing an environment that recognizes the human need for connection?

‘Just an informal chat.’ 🤔 Regularly, the final conversation in a search or recruitment process is an ‘informal’ conversation with someone. Generally, the most senior person either in the business or in the department you will potentially be joining. While this might look and feel ‘informal’ on the surface (including being over coffee or similar) they are anything but. These are essentially the final checks to ensure there is a ‘fit’. What this really means is whether this most senior person feels you are likeable enough to be a part of their business or not. While it is absolutely linked to a personal bias as to what the right ‘fit’ is, it makes complete sense. People spend a lot of time working so want to ideally be around people they like. It helps to build trust all the way around. This is ultimately where engagement in the workplace comes from. If you like the people you work with, it goes a long way to building trust - in others and leadership. So when going into these final conversations, be ready to be tested further. It might not feel as structured as what has come before in the process but it is still a form of assessment. And, while this about the organisation, it’s also about you. So, have a view and ask intelligent questions. Because here is the rub, the organisation isn’t the only one who get to decide if there is a ‘fit’ or not. #justaninformalchat #jobsearch #talentassessment #fit #engagement #trust