Building trust to reduce coordination costs

I once worked with a team that was, quite frankly, toxic. The same two team members routinely derailed meeting agendas. Eye-rolling was a primary form of communication. Side conversations overtook the official discussion. Most members had disengaged, emotionally checking out while physically present. Trust was nonexistent. This wasn't just unpleasant—it was preventing meaningful work from happening. The transformation began with a deceptively simple intervention: establishing clear community agreements. Not generic "respect each other" platitudes, but specific behavioral norms with concrete descriptions of what they looked like in practice. The team agreed to norms like "Listen to understand," "Speak your truth without blame or judgment," and "Be unattached to outcome." For each norm, we articulated exactly what it looked like in action, providing language and behaviors everyone could recognize. More importantly, we implemented structures to uphold these agreements. A "process observer" role was established, rotating among team members, with the explicit responsibility to name when norms were being upheld or broken during meetings. Initially, this felt awkward. When the process observer first said, "I notice we're interrupting each other, which doesn't align with our agreement to listen fully," the room went silent. But within weeks, team members began to self-regulate, sometimes even catching themselves mid-sentence. Trust didn't build overnight. It grew through consistent small actions that demonstrated reliability and integrity—keeping commitments, following through on tasks, acknowledging mistakes. Meeting time was protected and focused on meaningful work rather than administrative tasks that could be handled via email. The team began to practice active listening techniques, learning to paraphrase each other's ideas before responding. This simple practice dramatically shifted the quality of conversation. One team member later told me, "For the first time, I felt like people were actually trying to understand my perspective rather than waiting for their turn to speak." Six months later, the transformation was remarkable. The same team that once couldn't agree on a meeting agenda was collaboratively designing innovative approaches to their work. Conflicts still emerged, but they were about ideas rather than personalities, and they led to better solutions rather than deeper divisions. The lesson was clear: trust doesn't simply happen through team-building exercises or shared experiences. It must be intentionally cultivated through concrete practices, consistently upheld, and regularly reflected upon. Share one trust-building practice that's worked well in your team experience. P.S. If you’re a leader, I recommend checking out my free challenge: The Resilient Leader: 28 Days to Thrive in Uncertainty  https://lnkd.in/gxBnKQ8n

When corporate–startup partnerships fail, it’s rarely because the tech/product/strategy didn’t work. It’s because the trust didn’t. So, how can corporates and startups build trust so the value goes beyond capital? This was one of the key questions we discussed at the NeXTT Awards panel recently. If you want partnerships to deliver value beyond capital, the foundation has to be built before the deal on shared intent, aligned ways of working, and human connection. I’ve seen the most successful collaborations follow a simple rhythm: Build trust before the deal - be transparent about why you’re partnering, not just what you’ll get. Design for mutual wins - share KPIs, not just invoices. Reduce operational friction - fast-track decisions and simplify processes. Keep relationships human - senior sponsors and everyday champions matter more than quarterly reviews. Invest in the ecosystem together - co-create, share knowledge, and celebrate wins publicly. Because trust isn’t built in contracts. It’s built in conversations, in small acts of reliability, and in the sense that both sides are equally invested in the success of the other. When both sides feel heard, supported, and respected, that’s when value truly goes beyond capital. #Startups #CorporateInnovation #Trust #Leadership #Collaboration #BeyondCapital

𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐬𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐔𝐒 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬: Convenience sounds like a win… But in reality—control builds the trust that scales. We were working to improve product adoption for a US-based platform. Most founders instinctively look at cutting clicks, shortening steps, making the onboarding as fast as possible. We did too — until real user patterns told a different story. 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲, 𝐰𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞: -Added more decision points -Let users customize their flow -Gave options to manually pick settings -instead of forcing defaults -Conversions went up. -Engagement improved. Most importantly, user trust deepened. You can design a sleek two-click journey. But if the user doesn’t feel in control, they hesitate. Especially in the US, where data privacy and digital autonomy are non-negotiable — transparency and control win. Some moments that made this obvious: People disable auto-fill just to type things in manually. They skip quick recommendations to compare on their own. Features that auto-execute without explicit consent? Often uninstalled. It’s not inefficiency. It’s digital self-preservation. A mindset of: “Don’t decide for me. Let me drive.” I’ve seen this mistake cost real money. One client rolled out an automation that quietly activated in the background. Instead of delighting users, it alienated 20% of them. Because the perception was: “You took control without asking.” Meanwhile, platforms that use clear prompts — “Are you sure?” “Review before submitting” Easy toggles and edits — those build long-term trust. That’s the real game. What I now recommend to every tech founder building for the US market: Don’t just optimize for frictionless onboarding. Optimize for visible control. Add micro-trust signals like “No hidden fees,” “You can edit this later,” and toggles that show choice. Make the user feel in charge at every key step. Trust isn’t built by speed. It’s built by respecting the user’s right to decide. If you’re a tech founder or product owner, stop assuming speed is everything. Start building systems that say: “You’re in control.” 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬? 𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬. #UserExperience #ProductDesign #TrustByDesign #TechForUSMarket #businesscoach #coachishleenkaur LinkedIn News LinkedIn News India LinkedIn for Small Business

Superior technology usually loses to trust deficits. The NewCos who win understand this deeply. LegacyCos provide coverage - decades of embedded relationships, compliance infrastructure, institutional safety. NewCos provide velocity - direct paths to outcomes without legacy constraints. Enterprise buyers increasingly ask: "Will this deliver outcomes fast?" and "Can I justify this choice?" LegacyCos excel at the second. NewCos must excel at both. The solution isn't copying LegacyCo's relationship playbook. It's building trust infrastructure optimized for a high clockspeed world. The Trust Ceiling Trust deficits create velocity ceilings regardless of technology quality. This is structural, not situational. Your product solves problems 10x faster, but if buyers don't trust delivery, speed becomes irrelevant. NewCos must engineer trust through domain expertise and proven outcomes - without institutional baggage. The NewCo Playbook: Wedge and Expand Today's mega-deals are fragmenting into smaller, milestone-driven projects. This creates opportunities LegacyCos are too expensive and slow to pursue effectively. Your strategy isn't competing on massive transformations. It's winning wedges and expanding from strength. Domain Expert Credibility Hire thought leaders who understand enterprise needs but aren't tied to legacy delivery models. Import domain knowledge, not institutional constraints. Champion-Led Wedge Entry Embed with operational teams before procurement involvement. Find specific pain points where speed matters more than coverage. Example: You deliver working inventory optimization in 30 days, reducing costs 15%. LegacyCo proposes 12-month workflow optimization before any results. The Speed Advantage LegacyCos take 12 months because they're carrying decades of institutional process. You take 3 months because you're purpose-built for outcomes. This speed differential compounds: - Faster implementation → faster results → stronger references - Wedge wins → adjacent problems → organic expansion - Proven outcomes → higher trust → shortened sales cycles The Readiness Test: Before entering any market → Do you have domain experts who'll publicly endorse your approach? → Can you name three specific wedges where your speed beats their coverage? → Do you have proof points of 3x faster outcomes than traditional approaches? If yes, you have trust infrastructure built for velocity. If no, you're just another vendor. The Choice Enterprise buyers increasingly prefer fast wins over comprehensive coverage. You can build trust infrastructure optimized for velocity, or watch superior technology stall in trust deficit. In enterprise markets: speed without trust stalls; trust without speed stagnates. The network rewards companies that understand both realities. (Full version sent to newsletter subscribers)

Want to build trust faster in business? 🤝 It’s simple… ✅ Close the loop. Unanswered questions and unresolved tasks create doubt. In business, "closing the loop" is about: ✔ Ensuring accountability 🔄 ✔ Preventing confusion 🤔 ✔ Building trust 🏗 It means making sure that every conversation, project, or task reaches a clear resolution and that all relevant parties are informed. But here’s the challenge… When you’re constantly juggling multiple priorities, it’s easy to leave loops open. 🔄 An employee shares a concern—but did we circle back with a solution? 🔄 A customer raises an issue—but did we confirm that they were satisfied with the resolution? 🔄 A project is assigned—but did we check if it was completed, or did we just assume someone handled it? 💡 The reality? ❌ Assumed communication is not the same as completed communication. Failing to close the loop can have real consequences: 🚩 Lost trust – Employees feel unheard, customers feel ignored, and teams feel disconnected. 🚩 Missed opportunities – When follow-ups don’t happen, good ideas and initiatives fade into the background. 🚩 Inefficiencies – Time is wasted revisiting the same issues over and over again. When you’re managing multiple conversations, projects, and priorities… Having a system to track follow-ups is crucial. 🛠 Here are some ways to keep everything organized: ✅ Use a Task Management System – Tools like Trello, Asana, or Notion can help track conversations and tasks that need follow-up. ✅ Set Follow-Up Reminders – Schedule reminders in your calendar or use a CRM to ensure you revisit important conversations. ✅ Summarize & Confirm – After meetings, send a quick recap email outlining next steps and who is responsible for what. ✅ Develop a "Close the Loop" Habit – Before moving on to the next task, ask: Did I follow up? Did I get confirmation? Is this fully resolved? ✅ Delegate and Check-in – If you’re leading a team, ensure accountability for every task that needs to be followed through. 🔑 Closing the loop shows that you: ✔ Value people’s time ⏳ ✔ Are committed to results 🎯 ✔ Run a business (or a team) where things don’t just get discussed—they get done. ✅ 🚀 How do you keep track of your commitments and ensure you close the loop on important conversations? Image Desc.: Closing the Loop Content Copyright: Davy Shi #ClosingTheLoop #Trust #Business #Accountability #Responsibility #Communication #Commitment

Most teams don’t fail from a lack of talent. They fail from invisible trust gaps. One overlooked practice can change that (and fast): When Reed Hastings built Netflix’s culture, he didn’t focus on more rules or tighter controls. Instead, he designed a system of freedom and responsibility. Here, radical transparency and trust became the foundation of performance. Trust gaps quietly kill performance. Even your most talented team won’t reach their potential if trust is broken. When people don’t trust the system they’re in, they hold back. They second-guess decisions. They protect themselves instead of pushing forward. The hidden costs pile up: - Slower decisions. - Weaker collaboration. - Top performers quietly updating their resumes. And most leaders try to fix it the wrong way: Trust falls. Team-building games. Forced fun. That’s not the problem. And it’s not the solution. The solution is the Clarity Check-In. A simple but powerful leadership habit that changes how teams engage. Here’s how it works: In your next team meeting, share not just what you decided but how you decided. Walk through your actual thought process: • What data you considered • Who you consulted • What trade-offs you weighed • Where you had doubts • Why you chose this path Then ask: “What am I missing?” That’s how you build vulnerability-based trust. Not by pretending to have every answer. But by treating your team as thinking partners, not order-takers. This is how you unlock Clarity → Alignment → Movement. Try the Clarity Check-In in your next meeting. And watch what changes. Want more research-backed insights on leadership? Join 11,000+ leaders who get our weekly newsletter: https://lnkd.in/en9vxeNk

In my experience, trust isn’t just given, it’s earned through consistent, intentional actions. Trust is the bedrock of any high-performing team, and without it, collaboration and innovation suffer. Here are some key behaviors that build trust in action: 📣 Deliver on Promises: Always follow through on your commitments. Reliability and consistency in meeting deadlines and fulfilling obligations show your team they can count on you. 📣 Communicate Transparently: Open and honest communication fosters trust. Share information freely, admit mistakes, and keep your team informed about changes and decisions. 📣 Show Empathy: Understand and respect your colleagues' perspectives and emotions. Being genuinely empathetic and supportive strengthens relationships and builds trust. 📣 Give Credit Where It’s Due: Recognize and celebrate the contributions and achievements of others. Acknowledging the hard work and successes of your team members builds a culture of trust and mutual respect. 📣 Be Authentic: Be yourself and show vulnerability. Authenticity helps others see you as trustworthy and relatable, fostering deeper connections. 📣 Listen Actively: Truly listen to what others have to say without interrupting or judging. Active listening demonstrates respect and shows that you value their input. 📣 Maintain Integrity: Always act ethically and stand by your principles, even when it’s difficult. Integrity is a cornerstone of trust. What behaviors have you found most effective in building trust within your team? Share your experiences and insights below! ---------- Hey, I'm Kevin, I am the founder of KEVRA: The Culture Company and provide daily posts and insights to help transform organizational culture and leadership. ➡️ Follow for more ♻️ Repost to share with others (or save for later) 🔗 Visit kevraconsulting.com to learn more

💡Leading at the Speed of Trust: A Game-Changer for Middle Managers at FCPA It is a truth universally acknowledged that trust accelerates everything a leader should—or wants to—accomplish with their teams or organization. When trust is present, communication is seamless, collaboration is strong, and results follow. If you trust someone, you’ll listen to them. If you trust someone, you’ll follow them anywhere. For leaders, this has never been more critical. Everything we do and say affects the level of trust in our teams—whether we’re aware of it or not. That’s why, in Session 6 of the Fairfax County Park Authority Leadership Development Program, we tackled the topic of trust as central to leading and building effective teams. 🎯So, what exactly is trust? According to Stephen M.R. Covey, trust is confidence born of the character and competence of a person or organization. If you doubt this, ask yourself: What would you rely on when hiring someone to babysit your child or pet? The opposite of trust is suspicion. So, how do your colleagues view you? With confidence or suspicion? Your answer determines whether you’re experiencing: 🔺 Trust Taxes – When trust is low, speed decreases, and costs increase. This shows up as low productivity, poor communication, high turnover, disengagement, micromanagement, and lack of innovation. ✅ Trust Dividends – When trust is high, speed increases, and costs decrease. Teams experience higher engagement, stronger retention, effective communication, and greater productivity. Here’s the reality: Most team performance issues are trust taxes. So, ask yourself—which of these are you experiencing now? During this session, we leveraged the Franklin Covey Trust Framework, where participants explored: 🔹 The Four Cores of Credibility—Results, Capabilities, Intent, and Integrity 🔹 The 13 Key Behaviors to build and sustain trust 🔹 Practical strategies to become a high-trust leader and restore trust when it has been broken At the end of the day, trust isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s the foundation of leadership effectiveness. If you want to move faster, be more impactful, and build stronger teams, start with trust. 🙌🏾 Huge shout out to Ryan Carmen for joining me on the #ParkBench to share his insights and experience on this crucial topic. #LeadershipDevelopment #LeadingAtTheSpeedOfTrust #TrustMatters #MiddleManagers #FCPA #Leadership #ProfessionalGrowth

Stop! If your team stalls on pivots, check this obstacle first. One CEO had the strategy, resources, and priorities, and every change still required a second pitch. Momentum died. Another leader had bigger problems, but a culture that enabled faster change. The difference? TRUST Trust = speed of change. No trust → no speed. No speed → no survival. Three practical moves that build trust (not platitudes): - Turn values into behaviors. Pick 2 core values and translate each into two observable actions your team will do this week. - Close the loop, every time. Acknowledge. Set expectations. Follow through... Even a “no” preserves trust. - Measure the trust barometer. How long do decisions stall before “explanation fatigue”? Track it and shorten the lag. Want a quick test? Run a 30-day Values Audit. Name the most/least applied value. Choose one fix. Add one ritual to reinforce it. Small moves compound. Click the image below to read the full story here on LinkedIn. Where is trust leaking in your org... What’s one small fix you could make this week? Grab Amazon Best Seller Obstacles To Opportunity by Pat Alacqua. #Leadership #Trust #Change #Culture #Execution #Scaling #ObstaclesToOpportunity

Most leaders and managers often get 'building trust' wrong. They think it’s built through team bonding, feel-good speeches, or simply “giving it time” to get to know each other. But trust doesn’t come from feeling good. It comes from clarity. A few years ago, a large CRM company went through mass layoffs. They brought me in to run leadership workshops, and one exec asked me: "𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵-𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯? 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴, 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮-𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘹𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘴?" I told them: "Because you can’t build trust if people don’t even have clarity on where they stand." 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗶𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱, 𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺, 𝗻𝗼 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 ‘𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲’ 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗶𝘅 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁. When people are uncertain, they don’t need reassurance. They need clarity. Clarity on the past → Why something happened. Clarity on the present → The reality we’re in. Clarity on the future → What’s known, what’s uncertain, and what it means for the team. You don’t ask people to trust you. You create an environment where trust is earned through transparency, consistency, and delivering on what you can control. If you’re leading a team, start here: Before asking for trust, ask yourself: Have I made things clear? Would love to hear your take. Drop it in the comments. #Leadership #Trust #Teamwork #Clarity --- I’m Hugo Pereira, co-founder of Ritmoo and fractional growth operator. I’ve led businesses from €1M to €100M+ while building purpose-driven, resilient teams. Follow me for insights on growth, leadership, and teamwork. My book, Teamwork Transformed, launches early 2025.