If you talk about 'trust', you won't be trusted

Hello, I am Mitsunori Kimura, an expert in Smile Engineering. Please see this article for more on "Smile Engineering".

Have you ever felt that you just can't build a relationship of trust with someone who keeps talking about "trust"?

Of course, a relationship of trust is very important.
Neither work nor organizations can function without trust between people.

However, when someone says,
"Please trust me,"
"Trust is important, isn't it?"
or "Are you saying you don't trust me by checking that?"
I suspect I am not the only one who becomes guarded.

Security begins with "not trusting"

There is a security concept called "Zero Trust."

Simply put, it is the idea of
"not assuming something is safe from the start, but checking it properly each time."

In the past, it was common to trust people or devices within a company network to a certain extent.

However, we now live in an era where the cloud has expanded, people work from outside the office, and we use various devices and services.

"It's safe because it's internal,"
"It's fine because it's the usual person,"
"I trust them because they logged in once"

is no longer enough to protect us.

Therefore, systems that perform necessary authentication, limit access, and keep records are becoming the mainstream.

This is not because we doubt the users.

To ensure they can use the system with peace of mind, the structure is designed not to rely solely on initial trust.

"I don't check because I trust" is dangerous

Even in work projects, you might hear things like:
"It's fine because I've left it to that person,"
"Only the person in charge knows, but they've been doing it for a long time so it's fine,"
"We work based on trust, so we don't need detailed records."

At first glance, this may sound like they value people, but what happens if the person in charge takes a day off?
What happens if there is a misunderstanding?
What happens if there is a mistake in the numbers?

Therefore, isn't it important to ensure that necessary information—such as who did what and when, how far along things are, and what the basis for a decision was—can be checked by the people who need it?

Keeping records, sharing information, and making work visible is not because you don't trust people.
It is actually the opposite.

To trust people and delegate work to them, you create a system that does not rely solely on trust.

'Verifying' and 'doubting' are different things

However, when you try to introduce such mechanisms, you sometimes hear things like,
'Is it really necessary to manage things that much?'
'Don't you trust me?'

But,verifying and doubting should be different things.

Performing identity verification for security is not because you think that person is a criminal.

A bank asking for a PIN is not because they doubt the customer, either.
If there were no PIN, someone else could impersonate you,
and your account would not be protected, which is why the PIN exists.

In other words, it is precisely because there is a mechanism for verification that services can be provided with peace of mind.

Isn't this the same for organizations?

Because progress is visible, you don't have to keep asking 'How is it going?'
Because there are records, you don't have to argue about 'who said what.'
Because numbers are shared, you don't have to rely solely on someone's explanation.

By having such mechanisms in place, unnecessary suspicion actually decreases.

Trust is not something you 'demand'

Thinking about it this far, the reason for the discomfort at the beginning becomes clear.

I think I feel uncomfortable with
demanding that the other party trust me.

Keep your promises.
Say you can't do what you can't do.
Admit when you make a mistake.
If you are going to be late for a deadline, tell them early.
Do not hide necessary information.

By repeating these things,
people start to think, 'That person is reliable,'
and I believe this is what 'trust' is.

The number of times you say 'Please trust me'
does not increase your credibility.

In fact, the more strongly trust is demanded,
the more one might even feel,
'Why do they need to be trusted that much?'

Human relationships are the same as security

In the world of security, you cannot protect a system
just by saying 'Please trust me.'

That is why authority is clarified and there are mechanisms like authentication.
And records are kept.

This accumulation creates a secure state.

Come to think of it, human relationships might be the same.

No matter how many times you say, 'Let's value our relationship of trust,'
that alone will not create one.

Keep your promises.
Explain things sincerely.
Communicate even the inconvenient truths.
Apologize when you make a mistake.
Help others when they are in trouble.

Through the accumulation of such small actions,
a relationship of trust is built before you know it.

I believe that trust is not a matter of words, but a history of actions.

Summary

Perhaps those who are truly trusted
do not often say,
'Please trust me.'

DX, security, and human relationships are all the same.

Instead of asking to be trusted,
create a state where you can be trusted with peace of mind.

Isn't that what a 'relationship of trust' truly means?

Thank you for reading until the end.

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