The TRUST Show

Can you trust a competitor? Should you trust a competitor? And where does antitrust comes into play? Trusting a competitor can be tricky because of the Symmetry component of the relative trustworthiness model. Competitors, by definition, are on opposite sides of the wall. However, at times, they are not. Those times could lead to behaviors that hurt the public and are prohibited by antitrust laws,...

This is the third part in the two-part episode(s) that opened this season. The relative trustworthiness model and the 8 laws of trust apply to every relationship, and in this episode, completely disconnected from the 10 causes for divorce cited in the previous two episodes, the model will be applied to why some marriages last, and some end up in divorce. It all has to do with risk, fear, trust, sa...

This is the second of a two-part mini-series about the relationship between trust, distrust, and divorce. This episode will cover unrealistic expectations, lack of intimacy, lack of equality, being unprepared for marriage, and physical and emotional abuse. Each one will be linked to a component of the relative trust model. 

A recent article cited the top ten reasons for divorce (it is estimated that 50% of U.S. marriages end in divorce). Personally, I believe that all divorces are really caused by one reason: a decline in trust below the level required to sustain the marriage. This is the first episode in a two-part mini-series about the link between trust and divorce. In this episode, I will discuss infidelity, fina...

This is the 66th episode of this podcast, and every now and then I will repeat something I discussed in a previous episode for several reasons. One is that it has been a long time since I discussed the topic, and it’s important enough to discuss again, but the other is that my thinking is evolving, after applying the Trust Habits model and process to many organizations and individuals, and I want...

This is the second part of a two-part episode explaining how a person considers whether to trust you more, less, or the same as a result of you telling them a white lie or only half the truth. This episode includes a model with five factors that affect that decision, and a few additional examples of how that model can be applied.

When is it OK to tell a white lie or only half truth? Many people asked this question will give a definite answer, many of whom will say “never” or “always.” But the reality is that it depends on how the person you are telling that half-truth or white lie to considers it. This is the first part of a two-part episode on how the trust that the other person has in you will change as a result, because...

Over the past 14 years, I observed 8 laws of trust. The last one is that trust is a two-person game. The level of trust someone has in you is the product of their trustability (their willingness to trust other people) and your trustworthiness. You can do almost nothing about the former, and everything you can do about the latter—your trustworthiness. So, the starting point in building trust in an...

Did you ever have a situation when the team doesn’t trust one of its members? This episode will discuss first why it happens, what the impact it has on team performance, and what can you do about it, all the way to the dreaded decision of removing this member from the team, but with several other alternatives before it gets to that.

Being in a conflict of interests is not a trust issue. How you handle it is. This episode will explain what conflict of interest is, how it relates to trust, how the way you are handling it will affect your trustworthiness, and how to handle it to increase your trustworthiness.

A 2020 article claimed that 70% of business partnerships fail. Different reasons are given, but the main one is that trust breaks down. A business partnership is an intense environment to test trust. Unfortunately, so many of us enter business partnerships without first thoroughly analyzing whether we should trust our new partner, and don't build the relationship in a way that will build trust. Of...

This episode revisits the content of the second episode of the third season. I learned a lot more, and continued to evolve the mathematical model of that reciprocal relationship between trust and trustworthiness that emanates from the sixth law of trust (trust is reciprocal). Leaders often, yet unintentionally, kill their employees trustworthiness. This episode will explain how it happens, and why...

Most trust-building frameworks about leaders focus on how the leader can become more trusted—a trusted leader. There is no doubt that if, as a leader, you wish to build trust in the organization, you must first be trusted by the people in that organization. The Trust Habits framework focuses on trustworthiness, and is a highly structured and prescriptive process that combines the science of trust...

I often get asked the question: why is trust, really? It's hard to rely on dictionary definitions to give a thoughtful answer. This episode will answer the question by answering another question: why do we trust? In this episode, you will learn that we trust, in the most simplistic way, because we want to get a reward while feeling safe. You will learn that trust is about risk, fear, safety vs. da...

Over the years, I developed the Trust Habits™ framework. It has some unique characteristics, such as the recognition that trust is relative, which adds a level of complexity to how you help people become more trusted. You can’t just give “generic” strategies. Being more trustworthy is something that must be developed one relationship at a time. After delivering many, many workshops, I realized tha...

In this episode, recorded three days before the U.S. Independence Day 2022, I decided to share two personal stories related to it. The first is the story of getting my citizenship and something that happened during the final interview. The second story is about a strange email that I received in 2013, supposedly from the White House. Finally, I wanted to share the foreword for The Book of TRUST, w...

To close the 5th season, this episode includes the actual soundtrack of Yoram's second TEDx talk, given in May 2022, titled "The Relativity of TRUST." In 13 minutes, he covers one of the main differentiators of his insights from his trust research, put in The Book of TRUST. Trust is not absolute or universal. It is relative. The exact same behavior could cause one person to trust you and another p...

This episode draws on my trust research and also my work as a professor of entrepreneurship. Often I ask my students: if a product (or service) costs you $100 to make, how much should you sell it for? This episode will address this question and the relationships between four components: cost, price, perceived value, and real value. In this episode, you will learn that the relationship between ever...

Previous episodes dealt with how to be more trustworthy and therefore trusted. But what happens when you lose someone’s trust in you? How do you recover from it? Should you even care? This episode will answer these questions and more and give you a framework to rebuild your trustworthiness once you lose it, using the framework of the 8 laws of trust and my 6-component trustworthiness mode.

My wife heads a Dallas community organization, and recently brought Erez Hasson, a speaker from Israel. For 26 years, Erez was an operator in the Israel Security Agency (ISA, parallel to U.S. NSA), which focuses on Counterterrorism activities in Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. If you watched the Netflix show Fauda, his role was like that of Captain Ayob. He recruited spies within the Pa...

There is a new approach to feedback, referred to as “feed-forward” (compared to “feed backward”, which is what the classic type of feedback is referred to). The idea behind “feed-forward” is that instead of giving feedback after the deed is done, when there is no opportunity to implement this feedback (at least not on the deed that was already done), you should give “course corrections” while the...

This is the fifth episode in the mini-series about TRUST and Feedback, and the second about TAKING feedback. In this episode, I will explain the importance of not being defensive when you get feedback, and what not to do when you get it. The episode will discuss again perception versus reality, but this time from the recipient’s perspective. Finally, it will explain how to benefit the most from th...

The fourth episode of the TRUST and Feedback mini-series starts to address taking feedback. First, why do I call it “taking” feedback and not “getting” or “receiving” feedback? Why is taking feedback important to you? What should you do if nobody gives you feedback (and why aren’t they giving you feedback?). You will learn what to do when you are offered feedback but are not ready to take it, and...

In the third episode of this mini-series about trust and feedback, you will learn how to deliver negative feedback in a constructive and effective way and how to be positive when you deliver negative feedback. You will also realize that there is such a thing as too much feedback, and how to deal with a recipient who doesn’t want to take your feedback. Finally, I will discuss my personal opinion of...

This is the second of a six-episode mini-series about TRUST and feedback. This episode will discuss your reasoning for giving feedback and the relationship between perception and reality in your feedback. Once you know you want to give feedback, you will learn how to see if the recipient of feedback is ready to take your feedback, what to do if they are not, and when and where you should give that...