Trust Archives - BETA Coaching & Consulting

For many of us, daily interactions are transactional—exchanging money for goods and services, trading skills and time for salaries and benefits. A structured give-and-take that defines much of how we engage with the world.

While this approach is familiar, being purely transactional isn’t always the most equitable or supportive way to build connection.

When we fail to critically examine how we interact and how those interactions shape our sense of connection, we risk falling into patterns of imbalance or even coercion. Especially when exchanges occur without consent, transparency, or mutual understanding.

If transactional relationships work for you, there’s no need to read further.

But if you’re even a little curious about deepening your relationships and shifting toward more meaningful, transformative connections, keep reading.

I like to think of relationships as a reciprocal roof, a structure supported by the needs of both parties, built on trustworthiness and a conscious choice to lean in. In this kind of relationship, parties trust each other and embrace vulnerability, while creating a space for connection to flourish.

A shift from translational relationships requires self and cultural awareness.

Many people believe they are self-aware, yet research by Tasha Eurich suggests only 15% of people are truly self-aware. That’s a wake-up call; we have work ahead of us, yet it’s not impossible.

As global citizens, where emotions, perspectives, and social norms shape moment-to-moment interactions, honing our relationships calls on emotional intelligence, understanding ourselves, the dynamics between us, and the larger systems we navigate.

Genuine connection takes curiosity, humility, and vulnerability. At the core is our self-awareness.

As Shawn A. Ginwright, PhD writes:

“Vulnerability is like a portal to our humanity… it requires the delicate balance between risk and safety… structural vulnerability, emotional vulnerability, and our collective experiences contained in empathy are ways to move relationships from transactional to transformative.”

Transformation requires clarity. Understanding what fuels our desire to shift from transactional to truly relational.

There’s risk in this shift—the uncertainty of stepping into the unknown, deconstructing carefully built self-concepts, and the discomfort of change.

But the reward?

A deeper, more authentic way of relating.

What’s required isn’t passive agreement. It calls for bidirectional communication, expressing needs, and the courage to negotiate to reach a shared understanding. It’s about showing up for the relationship itself—not for personal gain, but for mutual trust and growth.

Ultimately, this shift moves us away from a scarcity-driven mindset, where relationships are purely transactional, toward one grounded in mutual well-being and trust.

A revolutionary approach! Are you ready to embrace it?

Source of Inspiration

What I'll be reading

By the time you read this, I’ll likely be deep into Babel by R.F. Kuang. This 544-page historical fantasy epic is centered at Oxford University, were magical silver bars fuel Britain’s colonial expansion and global dominance.

The story follows Robin Swift, a Chinese boy taken under the wing of Professor Lovell to study at Oxford’s Royal Institute of Translation. Groomed for his linguistic abilities to further the riches of Babel and its interests. A review on Goodreads posed a compelling question:

“Can powerful institutions be reformed from within, or does true change require revolution?”

It’s a question that feels especially relevant in today’s global climate. I’m savoring this book, taking time to unpack its complex layers. More thoughts to come in the next blog!

Let’s inspire one another—what books are on your shortlist?

Song that inspires

Reflection

Please answer the question?

It’s frustrating when people—especially those in positional power—avoid answering questions directly. Is it a fear of accountability or is something deeper at play?

I find myself wondering:

What will it take to create more honest, open conversations—ones that broaden perspectives and foster real cooperation?
How can we communicate clearly and honestly while allowing space for compassion and understanding?
What’s the way forward to restore integrity in our dialogue?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

While I Still Have Your Attention

Thank you for reading BETA’s Blog. I hope this month’s reflection sparked new thoughts on cultivating trust and connection in fractured systems—and how we can prioritize collective well-being.

Well-being is both subjective and universally desired. It’s about how we function personally and socially, and how we evaluate our lives as a whole.

If you found this newsletter valuable, please share it with your colleagues, friends, and family. And if you haven’t subscribed yet, I’d love for you to join our distribution list (your email is always kept private).

Let’s also connect on social. You can find me on LinkedIn.

Thank you!

The very fabric of our human ecosystem is grounded in our need to trust and be trusted. It is fundamental to almost all aspects of life and our interactions. We trust the grocery store where we shop, and that the container of super greens we purchased is in fact triple washed as indicated on the label. We trust our partner who said that they remitted payment for the car insurance and the insurance company will approve a claim for the fender bender.

There are countless activities throughout the day where we grant and are extended trust. It has no independent existence plus it both arises and disappears across the trust experiences.

The human brain is wired to lead us to trust and collaborate with those in our inner circle and those outside our immediate social group. Our ability to share people’s emotions plus our motivation to cooperate and connect with others are neurological factors that allow us to trust. Experiments around the world have shown that although humans are naturally inclined to trust others they do not always do so.

Essential to cultivating trust is understanding its drivers on both personal and organizational levels. The pandemic shined a spotlight on the integral mutual relationships between the individual contributor, leadership, and the mutual success of both along with how fragile trust can be.

Leaders who demonstrate ethical business practices while focused on facilitating a trusting environment centered on a growth mindset reap the benefits of a stronger organization. They cultivate systems that engage and motivate employees who see the alignment between their purpose and the strategic direction of the organization.

It is not sufficient to populate teams with more diverse perspectives and experiences. Actively cultivating an inclusion mindset, creating conditions that allow diverse team members to bring their unique perspectives and experiences to the process will result in trustworthy behaviors and engaged participation. The diversity of organizations necessitates a multi-stakeholder approach, tailoring communication to individuals and gaining a sense of trust.

Employees in these high trusting environments are encouraged to exchange ideas and experiences to fully realize their own capacity and power. Engaging colleagues in this way energizes them professionally and boosts authenticity. According to Lencioni, “when ‘trust’ is present, I’m ready to be ‘vulnerable’ and to share my ‘vulnerability.’ Their performance and well-being improve.”

The impact of mistrust at the organizational level is decreased employee motivation, translating to impaired productivity and engagement. The more employees feel mistrusted, the more they worry about their performance, which increases their anxiety levels.

It is no surprise that organizations centered around a trusting culture have a more engaged workforce. Employees are cooperative, collaborative, and connected with their colleagues, often staying longer with their employers. High trust organizations help people develop personally as well as professionally. These organizations improve how people treat each other, creating an environment of well-being.

The Trust Wheel is a way to assess how you’re leading with trust and the ways in which you grant or receive trust:

Of the eight attributes listed, how would you rate on a scale of 1 – 10 with 1 how you’re not demonstrating the attribute and 10 you’re fully focused on the attribute? Share the Trust Wheel with your circle of influencers and ask if they would rate how you demonstrate these attributes to see where there are alignments and gaps.

Trust is precious and an essential capital for relationships that requires frequent, consistent monitoring to maintain its capacity. Even when trust co-disappears, there are remnants of materials used to construct the truss for the relationship.

We live in a fluid and dynamic society and are always in transition. Trust means many things to different people. What bolsters trust across the dimensions of your circle of influencers? What are your internal structural components? Share with us the results of the Trust Wheels exercise.

At BETA Coaching and Consulting, we strengthen inclusive well-being strategies through forging trusting relationships with our clients.

Category: Trust

Cultivating Connection and Strengthening Relationships