Trust Works!
Four Keys to Building Lasting Relationships
Categories
Business, Nonfiction, Self Help, Psychology, Leadership, Relationships, Audiobook, Management
Content Type
Book
Binding
Hardcover
Year
2013
Publisher
William Morrow
Language
English
ASIN
0062205986
ISBN
0062205986
ISBN13
9780062205988
File Download
PDF | EPUB
Trust Works! Plot Summary
Introduction
Sarah had been burned before. After her colleague took credit for her project idea last year, she kept her guard up at work, sharing little and trusting less. The atmosphere in her team grew increasingly tense until a new manager arrived. Rather than demanding trust, he demonstrated trustworthiness through consistent actions: acknowledging team members' contributions, admitting when he was wrong, showing genuine interest in their lives, and always following through on commitments. Within months, Sarah found herself collaborating openly again, her productivity soaring alongside her happiness at work. Trust forms the invisible foundation of every meaningful relationship we build—whether professional or personal. Yet in today's skeptical world, trust seems increasingly fragile, easily broken by a single misstep and difficult to rebuild. This book addresses a crucial question: how can we systematically build and maintain trust when suspicion has become our default setting? The answer lies in understanding trust not as an abstract quality but as a practical skill that can be developed through specific behaviors. Through relatable stories and a straightforward framework, the authors illuminate how we can become truly trustworthy individuals in a world desperately in need of authentic connection.
Chapter 1: The ABCD Trust Model: A Framework for Understanding
When the management team at Riverview Hospital gathered for their quarterly planning session, tension filled the room. For months, departments had been siloed, communication was breaking down, and patient satisfaction scores were slipping. CEO Margaret Chen opened the meeting with a surprising admission: "I think our fundamental issue is trust. We don't have enough of it between departments or even within our leadership team." She introduced the ABCD Trust Model as a framework to help them understand and rebuild trust. "A stands for Able," she explained. "It means demonstrating competence that matters to others. B is Believable—acting with integrity consistently. C represents Connected—showing you genuinely care about others. And D is Dependable—maintaining reliability in everything you do." The leadership team initially responded with skepticism. Dr. James from Surgery questioned whether something as nebulous as trust could be broken down into components. But when they began analyzing recent conflicts through this lens, patterns emerged. The tension between Nursing and Administration wasn't about personalities—it was because Administration hadn't been transparent about budget cuts (Believable), while Nurses felt their expertise wasn't valued (Able). By the end of the day, the team had mapped several ongoing conflicts to specific trust dimensions. They realized that most trust issues weren't just vague feelings but resulted from specific behavioral patterns that could be identified and addressed. The radiology director put it best: "I've always thought of trust as something you either have or don't have. But this framework gives us a common language to discuss what's really happening." Margaret concluded the session with an assignment for each leader to assess their own trustworthiness across all four dimensions. The ABCD model provided not just clarity about their problems but also a path forward—understanding trust as a concrete set of behaviors rather than an intangible feeling.
Chapter 2: Broken Trust: How Relationships Deteriorate
Jason and Miguel had been business partners for eight years, building their graphic design agency from a two-person operation to a respected firm with fifteen employees. Their complementary skills—Jason's creative vision and Miguel's business acumen—had been the foundation of their success. But recently, something had shifted. It started when Miguel made a unilateral decision to cut the professional development budget without consulting Jason. "It's just a temporary measure," Miguel explained when Jason discovered the change. "We need to be more fiscally conservative this quarter." Though frustrated, Jason accepted the explanation. A month later, however, he learned Miguel had approved an expensive renovation for his own office while claiming funds were tight. The trust erosion accelerated when Jason overheard Miguel dismissing his creative input during a client call: "Don't worry about those artistic concerns—I'll make sure the final product meets your specifications." In team meetings, Miguel began interrupting Jason and redirecting conversations. When confronted, Miguel would minimize Jason's concerns: "You're overreacting" or "You must have misunderstood." Meanwhile, Jason responded by withholding information, making decisions without Miguel's input, and complaining to other staff members. The pattern escalated until they could barely be in the same room, communication reduced to terse emails even as their business began suffering. What began as a strong partnership had deteriorated through a sequence of trust-breaking behaviors: lack of transparency, inconsistency between words and actions, failure to acknowledge concerns, and disrespectful communication. The breakdown happened gradually through seemingly small incidents rather than one catastrophic betrayal. Trust erosion rarely happens overnight—it's the accumulation of small disappointments, unacknowledged hurts, and inconsistent behaviors that eventually creates a chasm too wide to easily bridge. The first step in rebuilding any relationship is recognizing these patterns before they become irreversible.
Chapter 3: Becoming Able: Demonstrating Competence That Matters
When Alicia joined the software development team at TechNova, she faced immediate skepticism. As the only woman and youngest member of the team, she sensed her colleagues' unspoken doubt about her capabilities. During her first three team meetings, her suggestions were met with polite nods but no follow-up. She realized that proving her technical ability would be essential to gaining their trust. Instead of becoming defensive, Alicia strategically identified a critical problem the team had been struggling with—optimizing the user authentication system. Without fanfare, she spent evenings analyzing the code architecture, identifying bottlenecks, and developing an elegant solution. At the next team meeting, when the authentication issue arose again, she quietly presented her approach with clear, technically precise language. The room fell silent as senior developers reviewed her code. Finally, team lead David spoke: "This is remarkable work—you've solved a problem we've been circling for weeks." Over the following months, Alicia continued demonstrating her technical mastery, not by asserting her expertise verbally but by consistently delivering high-quality solutions to meaningful problems. By her third month, team dynamics had shifted dramatically. Colleagues began seeking her input on complex challenges, and when she spoke in meetings, people listened attentively. During a particularly difficult project, David publicly acknowledged: "Alicia's approach saved us at least two weeks of development time." What Alicia understood intuitively was that competence builds trust only when it's relevant to others' needs and consistently demonstrated through results rather than claims. Being "Able" isn't about general intelligence or credentials—it's about developing and applying skills that genuinely matter in your specific context. Trust begins with competence that makes a difference in others' lives, whether that's technical ability in a workplace, emotional intelligence in a relationship, or reliability in a friendship. By focusing on delivering meaningful results rather than seeking recognition, Alicia transformed skepticism into respect and eventually into trust.
Chapter 4: Acting Believable: The Power of Integrity
The regional sales team at Heartland Manufacturing had weathered tough times before, but the recent corporate restructuring had everyone on edge. Rumors of layoffs circulated daily, and team morale had plummeted. In this atmosphere of uncertainty, newly appointed sales director Thomas faced his first significant challenge. During his initial team meeting, Thomas received pointed questions about job security. Previous managers had responded with vague reassurances or outright denials of problems. Instead, Thomas paused thoughtfully before responding: "Honestly, I don't have all the answers yet. What I can tell you is that corporate has asked me to evaluate our operations over the next six weeks. Some changes will likely happen, but I promise you'll hear the truth from me directly, not through rumors." When sensitive information about potential territory realignments came across his desk with instructions to keep it confidential until finalized, Thomas faced a dilemma. During a team lunch, sales representative Jennifer directly asked about these rumored changes. Rather than lying or deflecting, Thomas replied: "That's something I can't discuss fully yet. When I have information I can share, you'll be the first to know—and I'll tell you everything I can." True to his word, when decisions were finalized, Thomas met with each team member individually before making any public announcements. When a cost-cutting initiative required canceling the annual sales retreat, he acknowledged the disappointment rather than pretending it wasn't significant. When he made a mistake in commission calculations, he admitted it immediately and corrected it. Within months, even as difficult changes were implemented, team members reported feeling more secure. "With previous managers, we never knew if we were getting the whole story," Jennifer explained. "With Thomas, even bad news feels less threatening because we know he's shooting straight with us." What Thomas demonstrated was Believability—the dimension of trust built through consistent integrity and truthfulness. Being Believable isn't about being perfect; it's about alignment between words and actions, transparency within appropriate boundaries, and willingness to admit mistakes. When people believe you're telling them the truth—even difficult truths—they can make informed decisions rather than operating in uncertainty. In relationships where integrity prevails, energy shifts from second-guessing motives to addressing real challenges together.
Chapter 5: Staying Connected: Why Empathy Builds Bridges
Principal Eleanor Washington faced a divided school community when she arrived at Westridge Elementary. Years of administrative turnover had left parents suspicious, teachers defensive, and students caught in the middle. Previous principals had approached the situation with policy changes and structural solutions, but Eleanor recognized the fundamental issue was disconnection. She began by listening. Instead of presenting her vision immediately, she scheduled "coffee conversations" with small groups of parents, asking about their hopes and frustrations. With teachers, she spent time in classrooms before talking about performance, getting to know their teaching styles and the challenges they faced daily. Even with young students, she made time for connection, learning names and eating lunch in the cafeteria rather than her office. When parent Maria Rodriguez expressed frustration about homework policies, Eleanor didn't immediately defend the school's approach. Instead, she asked questions about Maria's specific concerns and acknowledged: "That sounds genuinely difficult for your family. Help me understand what would make this more manageable." When veteran teacher Mr. Johnson resisted a new literacy initiative, Eleanor visited his classroom, complimented his existing strengths, and asked for his input on implementation. The breakthrough came three months into her tenure during a contentious budget meeting. As tensions rose between parent advocates and faculty representatives, Eleanor shared a personal story about her own daughter's educational struggles. "I sit here not just as your principal but also as a parent who understands the fears we have for our children. Every decision we make affects real kids, like my Emma, and like your children." In that moment, the atmosphere visibly shifted. Both sides began speaking more collaboratively, acknowledging shared goals rather than differences. A parent later commented, "It was the first time I felt the administration truly saw us as partners rather than problems." What Eleanor demonstrated was the power of Connection—showing genuine care and empathy for others' experiences. Being Connected means making people feel seen and valued, actively listening without immediately problem-solving, and revealing appropriate vulnerability. When people feel genuinely connected, they bring their best selves forward instead of their defensive armor. True connection transforms transactions into relationships, creating psychological safety that allows honesty, creativity, and collaboration to flourish.
Chapter 6: Being Dependable: The Foundation of Trustworthiness
The marketing team at Global Retail Solutions had developed a reputation for creative brilliance—and missed deadlines. Despite producing award-winning campaigns, their internal clients in sales and product development had grown increasingly frustrated with their unreliability. "Sure, their work is amazing," complained one sales director, "but what good is a brilliant campaign that launches two weeks after the product release?" When Marcus took over as marketing director, he inherited this credibility problem. In his assessment interviews, he heard variations of the same complaint: the marketing team made promises they couldn't keep and failed to communicate when timelines shifted. Their creativity had become overshadowed by their undependability. Rather than defending his team or making grand promises about immediate improvement, Marcus took a methodical approach to rebuilding trust. He instituted a "no surprise" policy—when a deadline was at risk, team members were required to communicate immediately rather than waiting until the due date. He implemented realistic buffer times in project plans and refused to commit to timelines that seemed overly optimistic. When the product team requested a major campaign with an impossible three-week turnaround, Marcus didn't automatically say yes to please them. Instead, he negotiated a phased approach with clear deliverables at each milestone. "We'll deliver the core elements you need for launch, and then roll out the additional components according to this schedule," he explained, providing a detailed timeline. Most importantly, Marcus ensured his team delivered on every commitment they made. When an unexpected staff illness threatened a key deadline, he personally worked through the weekend alongside his team to ensure they met their promise. After six months of consistent delivery, Marcus noticed a remarkable shift. Other departments began planning their initiatives around marketing's input rather than working around them. Sales started inviting marketing to client meetings, confident they would be prepared and present. Dependability—the consistent follow-through on commitments—forms the foundation of trustworthiness. Being dependable means making promises carefully, communicating proactively when circumstances change, and prioritizing commitment fulfillment even when it's difficult. What makes dependability so powerful is its cumulative effect—each kept promise builds confidence that future promises will be kept as well. While creativity, intelligence, and other qualities might impress people initially, it's the reliable fulfillment of commitments that ultimately determines whether they will trust you with what matters most to them.
Chapter 7: Rebuilding Damaged Trust: A Step-by-Step Approach
The merger between Eastern Medical Supply and Western Healthcare Products looked perfect on paper—complementary product lines, expanded market reach, and substantial cost savings. Six months in, however, the reality looked very different. Departments remained siloed, information wasn't being shared, and promised synergies hadn't materialized. The breaking point came when Eastern's customer service team discovered they'd been working with outdated product specifications because Western's product team hadn't informed them of recent changes. "This partnership is a failure," declared Eastern's operations director during a particularly heated executive meeting. "We can't work with people who don't respect us enough to keep us informed." Western's leadership team responded defensively, citing their own grievances about Eastern's resistance to new procedures. CEO Rebecca Chen, who had championed the merger, recognized this as a critical moment. Instead of allowing blame to escalate, she acknowledged the trust breakdown directly: "We have a serious problem here, and it's not about processes or communications channels. We've lost trust in each other, and without addressing that directly, no structural solution will work." She introduced a structured approach for rebuilding the damaged relationship. First, she created a safe environment for both sides to acknowledge their role in the breakdown. "This isn't about who's more at fault—it's about understanding how we've each contributed to this situation," she explained. Western's team admitted they had withheld information, partly due to Eastern's early criticism of their documentation standards. Eastern's team acknowledged their defensive posture had discouraged open communication. Next, Rebecca facilitated explicit discussions about specific behaviors that had damaged trust, using the ABCD framework to identify patterns. They discovered that while competence (Able) wasn't in question for either group, they had failed in Dependability (not following through on integration commitments), Believability (hiding problems instead of addressing them openly), and Connection (focusing on tasks while ignoring relationship-building). The breakthrough came with the creation of a "Trust Rebuilding Plan" with specific commitments from both sides, including joint team meetings, shadowing opportunities across divisions, and explicit communication protocols with accountability measures. Most importantly, they agreed to recognize and celebrate when trust-building behaviors occurred. The process wasn't quick or easy. Trust that has been damaged requires more than apologies or promises—it demands consistent behavior change over time, with each small positive interaction gradually rebuilding confidence. Six months later, however, cross-division collaboration had dramatically improved. "We still have our challenges," Rebecca noted, "but now we address them together instead of retreating to our corners." The experience demonstrates that even severely damaged trust can be restored when people commit to understanding the specific behaviors that broke it and systematically rebuilding through consistent, trustworthy actions.
Summary
Trust is a practice, not a personality trait. Throughout this book, we've seen how trust operates as a dynamic exchange built upon specific behaviors rather than vague feelings or intentions. The ABCD Trust Model provides a practical framework that transforms trust from an abstract concept into actionable steps: demonstrating relevant competence (Able), acting with consistent integrity (Believable), showing genuine care and empathy (Connected), and reliably following through on commitments (Dependable). Whether in Alicia's technical environment, Thomas's uncertain sales team, Eleanor's divided school, or Marcus's creative but inconsistent marketing department, we've witnessed how deliberately practicing these behaviors creates the foundation for meaningful relationships. The most powerful insight may be that trustworthiness is ultimately a choice we make daily through our actions. We cannot demand trust from others—we can only behave in ways that make trust possible. When trust breaks down, as it did in the troubled corporate merger, the path forward isn't found in assigning blame but in recognizing specific trust-eroding behaviors and systematically replacing them with trust-building alternatives. In a world where skepticism often feels like the safer default, choosing trustworthiness becomes a radical act—one that creates spaces where collaboration, innovation, and genuine human connection can flourish. By understanding trust as a skill to be developed rather than a quality to be claimed, we gain the power to transform our relationships, our organizations, and ultimately, our lives.
Best Quote
“great rule of thumb is to never say anything behind someone’s back that you wouldn’t say straight to the person’s face.” ― Kenneth H. Blanchard, Trust Works!: Four Keys to Building Lasting Relationships
Review Summary
Strengths: The book provides a simple and easily understood framework for building trust, known as the ABCD model (Able, Believable, Connected, Dependable). The writing style is appreciated for being concise and engaging, with the use of a parable involving talking animals to convey its message. The book is noted for being a quick read, offering valuable advice, and effectively narrowing down trust-building attributes into memorable categories.\nWeaknesses: The review mentions that the book does not offer new insights, and some elements, such as the fable and conversations about the ABCD model, are perceived as gimmicky or unrealistic.\nOverall Sentiment: Mixed. While the reviewer appreciates the book's clarity and practical advice, they also find it lacking in originality and somewhat simplistic.\nKey Takeaway: The book effectively communicates the importance of trust through a straightforward and memorable framework, though it may not provide groundbreaking insights.
About Author
Kenneth H. Blanchard
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Trust Works!
by Kenneth H. Blanchard
Table of Contents
Trust Works!
By Kenneth H. Blanchard
