Build Real Trust (and don't EVER say this)

Your business lives or dies based on what people tell you.

Information…early, accurate, unfiltered…is your edge.

Without it you fail!

No fancy spreadsheet can save you.

Yet most of us…especially small business owners…accidentally train people not to tell us the truth.

And we do it with just one sentence.

The Fastest Way to Kill Trust

Picture it. An employee walks in. They've got something hard to share like a mistake, a delay, a customer issue.

They've been sitting on it.

Maybe for days.

You say: "Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?"

Sounds reasonable, right?

You're just asking.

Nope!

What they hear is totally different: You screwed up by waiting. You're already in trouble.

Next time?

They'll wait longer.

Or never come to you at all.

Irwin Yalom, my favorite existential psychotherapist, calls this "punishing the act of sharing."

However nice your tone, you're teaching them to associate honesty with regret.

You can have the most "open-door policy" but if you fuck this up it doesn’t matter.

When someone shares something vulnerable and gets even accidentally scolded for it, they'll think twice next time!

The Alternative: Two Phrases That Open the Floodgates

When someone brings you something late or messy or whatever, say this instead:

1. "Thank you for bringing this to me."

2. "I'm glad you told me."

That's it. Two phrases.

Psychological Safety

These words do something powerful:

• They separate sharing from what's being shared.

• They reward honesty on the spot.

• They make people feel relief, not regret at bringing things up.

You can dig into what happened later.

First, celebrate the act of disclosure!

The Cost of Getting This Wrong

I had a coaching client who ran a large home services company.

Super capable dude…But his team hid problems until they exploded.

"They only come to me when it's too late to fix anything," he complained.

I watched him in action.

Someone finally shared a problem with him in a meeting I saw.

His first words?

"We've been working with them for months. How are we just hearing about this now?"

The message was clear: Bringing problems equals pain.

A little bit of self awareness and he squashed this problem quickly.

This isn't rah rah culture stuff.

It's practical business shit!

Earlier information = cheaper solutions.

What Happens When You Get It Right

When people know they'll be thanked…not grilled…for bringing you ground truth, your business starting zooming:

• Delays don’t snowball out of control

• Money stops leaking because people mention weird expenses they see

• Customers stay because their small frustrations reach you before they become churn.

Do This Tomorrow

Pick the one person you most need honest information from.

Next time they bring you anything…good, bad, whatever….make those two phrases the very first thing out of your mouth.

Watch what happens the time after that. And after that.

This is a practical communication tool that costs nothing and changes everything.

What would your business look like if everyone told you the truth, right away, all the time?

Try these two phrases and find out.

Yallah Habibi,

Jon

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