Trust is earned. It’s a well used mantra and I think we accept it, and just take for granted that it’s true. But is it?
If I apply it to my toddler, she will have no space to learn, to fail. Instead I put her meal in front of her and hand her a fork. I trust her to feed herself. Even though she may fail. She may dump her plate on the floor. Spill her milk. Mash her potatoes into her hair. But unless I want to still be feeding her at 12, I know i have to let her try.
We often have a different standard for our employees though. Trust is earned! Prove to me that you’re ready to do the job and then I’ll let you try. We disregard the trust that is implicit in the employment agreement. I hired you to do the job – I already committed to entrusting the job to you. If I don’t let you try, fail, and learn, there was no point in hiring for the position.
It is hard to trust. It is especially hard to entrust our most invested projects to someone new. “You know what? Never mind. I’ve got this. Maybe next time.” But seriously, if we cannot learn this, we prevent our companies from growing beyond what we as individuals can do. We prevent ourselves from growing out of our role and moving up.
It’s hard. It hurts. But it is essential.