Coaching practices for Extend Trust First
Describe almost anything you are working through and IX Coach finds the practices whose real-world fit is closest. For Extend Trust First, these are the strongest matches in the current practice library.
Does this sound like the set of challenges you might be facing?
- I won’t hand anyone real responsibility until they’ve completely proven themselves first
- With new people I try to fast-forward to being close
- I keep everything at work behind a polished, guarded front
- I keep waiting for my manager to notice me and hand me more trust, and it’s not happening
- Something’s damaged my trust in them but I can’t bring myself to just say so, so instead I quietly pull back, vent to other people, and let it fester
Practices that may help
- Extend trust deliberately to invite it
Trust others first, in bounded ways, before they have earned every dimension — it is how trust is built.
The Trust Triangle - Earn the right to deepen the relationship in stages
Trust compounds over time — start with technical credibility and expand into intimacy as it is earned.
The Trust Equation, Made Practical - The Trust Equation, Made Practical
The Trust Equation (Maister, Green, and Galford) holds that trustworthiness = (credibility + reliability + intimacy) ÷ self-orientation. The model is a practitioner framework rather than a rigorously tested theory, but it usefully names the levers — especially self-orientation, which is the single biggest trust-killer most leaders overlook. - The Trust Triangle
Charles Feltman’s Trust Triangle (from The Thin Book of Trust) identifies four distinct assessments that together constitute trust: sincerity (I mean what I say), reliability (I do what I say), competence (I have the ability to do what I say), and care (I have your interests at heart). Trust breaks down when any one of these assessments fails — and repairing trust requires identifying which assessment was damaged. - Lower your guard to raise the intimacy score
Sharing something real about yourself makes others feel safer sharing something real with you.
The Trust Equation, Made Practical - Invest in the relationship before you need it
Build relational credit through reliability and initiative, not charm or performance alone.
Leader-Member Exchange (LMX), Made Practical - Have explicit trust conversations when trust is at stake
Name the trust issue directly rather than managing it indirectly.
The Trust Triangle - Diagnose which trust dimension is broken before trying to repair
Name the specific trust assessment that failed — then address that one, not trust in general.
The Trust Triangle - Be transparent about your competence limits
Name what you can do, what you can’t, and what you’ll need to learn — before you are found out.
The Trust Triangle - Demonstrate care through visible acts in the other person’s interest
Show that your interests and theirs are genuinely aligned — not only when it’s convenient.
The Trust Triangle
Related concerns
- How To Get Past The Lack Of Trust
Name the trust issue directly rather than managing it indirectly.
Have explicit trust conversations when trust is at stake
- Team Trust
Charles Feltman’s Trust Triangle (from The Thin Book of Trust) identifies four distinct assessments that together constitute trust: sincerity (I mean what I say), reliability (I do what I say), competence (I have the ability to do what I say), and care (I have your interests at heart). Trust breaks down when any one of these assessments fails — and repairing trust requires identifying which assessment was damaged.
- The Trust Triangle When Overwhelmed
Charles Feltman’s Trust Triangle (from The Thin Book of Trust) identifies four distinct assessments that together constitute trust: sincerity (I mean what I say), reliability (I do what I say), competence (I have the ability to do what I say), and care (I have your interests at heart). Trust breaks down when any one of these assessments fails — and repairing trust requires identifying which assessment was damaged.
- Trust Building Exercises
Trust others first, in bounded ways, before they have earned every dimension — it is how trust is built.
Extend trust deliberately to invite it
- Care Dimension Of Trust
Show that your interests and theirs are genuinely aligned — not only when it’s convenient.
Demonstrate care through visible acts in the other person’s interest
- How To Build Trust Back In A Relationship
Trust others first, in bounded ways, before they have earned every dimension — it is how trust is built.
Describe your situation in your own words to search the complete practice library.