Building Trust Through Open Engineering Communication

As Chief Engineer of strategic ballistic missile submarine USS Kentucky, I felt I had to have every answer. I was in every action, every system, every repair. The stakes were too high for anything less. But here’s the truth: that approach was untenable. No single person can shoulder that weight forever. What saved me—and what made our team world-class—wasn’t my control. It was: ✅ Delegation — trusting officers and sailors to own their watch. ✅ Intent-based leadership — giving clear direction, not micromanagement. ✅ Trust-based communication — speaking up early, listening deeply. ✅ Transparent expectations — clarity about what “good” looked like. ✅ Deep but meaningful checking — not hovering, but verifying. Scaling your business is no different. Early founders often try to be in every decision, every hire, every customer interaction. But just like on a submarine, that weight will break you—and stall your team. The transition from “I control everything” to “we achieve everything together” is what transforms brilliant engineers and scientists into enduring leaders. 💡 Where are you in that journey—holding every answer, or scaling through trust? #Leadership #ScalingUp #Delegation #ExecutiveCoaching #EngineeringLeadership #CoreX #Trust #IntentBasedLeadership #focalpountcoaching

Great engineering leadership isn’t about solving everything. It’s about creating the conditions where your team can. In my early leadership days, I thought I had to walk in with the answers. Over time, I learned something better: Most engineers don’t need hand-holding. They need clarity, context, and trust. Here’s how I lead now (and what’s worked): 1. Present the problem, not a pre-baked solution. → Engineers are problem-solvers. Don’t rob them of that. → Instead of “We need to use Kafka here,” say: “We need async processing at scale. Thoughts?” 2. Share constraints early. → Be open about deadlines, budget, team bandwidth, or tech debt. → Constraints help the team make realistic design choices. 3. Make room for trade-off discussions. → Your job isn’t to rush decisions. It’s to ensure good ones. → Let the team think through latency vs cost, monolith vs microservices, etc. 4. Guide the decision, don’t dictate it. → Ask: “What risks do you see?” or “What’s your fallback plan?” → Step in only when clarity or urgency is needed. 5. Protect builder time. → Cut unnecessary meetings. Shield them from noise. → Innovation dies in a calendar full of status syncs. Leadership is knowing when to speak and when to listen. You don’t earn trust by having all the answers. You earn it by helping your team find better ones.

Stop beating a dead intranet. If you’re leading employee communications, your job is NOT to shout carefully vetted messages from the ivory tower. Megaphones are for marching bands, not modern workplaces. The age of decreeing messages from the higher-ups with the expectation of silent compliance is over. We're in the era of dialogue, baby. The role of internal comms leaders is to create spaces where conversation flourishes—less shouting into the void and more stimulating discussion and debate. But organizations are still preaching from the corporate pulpit, expecting rapt attention from the masses. We're hoarding communication channels at the top while the rest of the organization starves for a voice. So why aren't companies democratizing communication? 1. Fear of relinquishing power: There's this stodgy notion that open communication equals chaos. In other words, fear rules the land, with lords worried about losing control if the serfs start having a say. 2. The illusion of open-door policies: Slapping an "open-door" label on a fundamentally closed communication system doesn't magically make it inclusive. 3. Hierarchical hangovers: The corporate ladder is still a thing, and it's casting long shadows over who gets to speak and who gets to listen. 4. Lack of tools (or will) to change: Either organizations are stuck with tools from the digital Stone Age, or there's resistance to adopting new platforms that foster open dialogue. But they should reconsider because… ⚡ Great ideas can come from anywhere, not just the C-suite. Open communication channels are where innovation thrives. ⚡ Employees who feel heard are employees who stick around.  ⚡A vibrant, open communication culture is the best kind of strategy an organization can hope to have. ⚡ When communication flows freely, trust follows. And in today's world, trust is the currency of choice. So, how can you get started democratizing your internal comms? 1. Adopt the right tools: Invest in platforms that are designed for the modern workplace, where dialogue, not monologue, is the default setting. Hint: your emailed internal newsletter and your creaky intranet site aren’t it. 2. Flatten the communication hierarchy: Encourage leaders to mingle in the digital town square, sharing, commenting and—most importantly—listening. 3. Train, don't just tell: Equip everyone with the skills to communicate effectively in an open environment. 4. Celebrate the voices: Recognize and reward those who contribute to the conversation. Make it known that every voice matters—and mean it.  #internalcommunications #employeecommunications #ThatAshleyAmber

Speed looks impressive on a dashboard. Trust looks invisible until it is the only thing left standing. In my time watching systems rise and fall across blockchain, governance, and enterprise, one pattern keeps repeating: yesterday's flashy launch becomes tomorrow's cautionary tale if people cannot rely on the system without second guessing. ⚠️🔁 Here is why trust is the real benchmark: ✅ Reliability wins. People forgive slow features. They do not forgive surprises that break their workflow or money. 🔍 Predictability compounds. Predictable behavior from your product and your team turns first-time users into habitual users. 🛡️ Safety builds adoption. Clear governance, transparent incentives, and recoverable failure modes let partners and enterprises say yes. 🤝 Reputation outlasts velocity. Reputation is earned by consistency, not by hype. A quick builder checklist you can use today: • Track trust metrics, not just usage metrics. Examples: time to first value, repeat actions, governance participation, dispute rates. • Design for observable failure modes so partners can audit and accept risk. • Make promises you can keep and communicate those promises plainly. Plain language builds credibility. • Invest in education and onboarding. Trust is taught more than it is coded. Fast can win rounds. Trust wins decades. If you want something that lasts, build for the latter. 🔥 Share one sentence about a time trust saved or broke a project you care about. I will highlight the most useful examples. 👇

The best engineering cultures aren’t perfect—they’re transparent Honesty, vulnerability, and communication drive real progress. Early in my career: - Problems were hidden. - Everyone tried to look like they had it all together. - It made everything worse—stress, fear, mistakes. When leaders started sharing challenges openly: - We solved issues together. - We grew together. - The whole team thrived. Here’s why transparency drives real progress: 1. Creates Trust → People trust what they understand. → Transparency eliminates fear of the unknown. 2. Encourages Problem-Solving → Open communication brings problems to the surface. → When issues are visible, solutions happen faster. 3. Builds a Growth Mindset → Vulnerability shows that mistakes are part of learning. → Engineers feel safe to take risks and innovate. 4. Strengthens Team Connection → Honesty brings teams together. → Real conversations lead to real bonds. 5. Aligns Everyone on the Mission → Transparency keeps everyone informed. → A clear mission ensures everyone moves in the same direction. Perfection isn’t the goal. Being open, honest, and real is what makes the best engineering teams thrive. Have you experienced a culture where transparency made all the difference? --- ♻️ Repost if you believe in the power of transparency in engineering! ➕ Follow Ryan Yockey for more

Sunlight is the best disinfectant. In the context of high-performing teams, that means transparency, honesty, and open dialogue are essential for trust, innovation, and long-term success. When challenges, concerns, or differing perspectives remain in the shadows teams risk stagnation, missed opportunities, and even significant setbacks. This can be because of fear of conflict, hesitation to speak up, or an outdated mindset that prioritizes harmony over truth (aka the traditional way of thinking). The traditional way of thinking suggested that staying quiet was a way to protect colleagues from criticism, but in reality, the greatest disservice we can do to our teammates is to withhold valuable insights that could help them succeed. The strongest teams recognize that candor is not about tearing others down, but about a shared commitment to excellence, accountability, and continuous growth. When teams embrace open communication and operate in the full light of transparency, they unlock a level of trust and collaboration that makes it possible to achieve extraordinary results.

Communication has been one of the most significant lessons in my personal and professional growth journey. I’ve learned that the way we convey our thoughts, listen to others, and create space for dialogue can define the success of a project, a team, or even a relationship. In my experience: ⭐ Clear messaging always wins: When I shifted from overloading information to clear, concise messaging, engagement skyrocketed. People don’t just need to hear—they need to understand. ⭐ Listening changes everything: I’ve found that truly listening, whether to a client, a colleague, or a loved one, builds stronger connections and fosters mutual respect. ⭐ Transparency builds trust: People value honesty and clarity, especially in challenging times. The moments I communicated openly were the ones that strengthened relationships the most. ⭐ Timely responses drive progress: Delays in communication often lead to frustration. Being prompt keeps momentum alive and shows respect for others’ time. ⭐ Open dialogue sparks creativity: The best ideas often came when I encouraged my team to speak freely and brainstorm without fear of judgment. This isn’t just a strategy—it’s a mindset. Effective communication creates opportunities, builds trust, and lays the foundation for success in any area of life. I’ve seen this firsthand in my projects, and I can confidently say it’s the key to unlocking potential. What’s one area of communication you want to strengthen? Follow @dralexadagostino for more insights. #GoodCommunication #KeyToSuccess #LeadershipGrowth #BuildTrust #TeamworkMatters #EfficiencyInAction #Innovation