Chapter 1 Decline in trust
Here's how the Oxford Dictionary defines trust:
- Firm belief in the reliability, truth, or ability of someone or something.
- Acceptance of the truth of a statement without evidence or investigation.
- The state of being responsible for someone or something.
- A person or duty for which one has responsibility.
And here's how trust works in practice. I give my house key to my cleaners because I trust them to come in and clean my home when I'm not there and not damage or steal anything. My parents have a key to my place as a legacy from when they used to babysit the kids. My friend has a key in case I lock myself out and I can't get in, so too does my executive manager for when she needs to come to my house and work.
Trust makes our life, at home and work, easier.
If I didn't have trust, I would have to stay home every time the cleaners come.
The Cambridge Dictionary has a slightly different definition for trust from the Oxford, defining it as, ‘To believe that someone is good and honest and will not harm you, or something is safe and reliable'. I think this aspect is so true when you look not just at the people around you — your friends, your leaders, your team, your peers and your clients — but also at the information you are presented with by those people.
We trust financial institutions with our money and superannuation. We trust our accountants to ensure they file our tax legally. We trust our insurance companies to pay out if we get sick or our house ...