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👨‍🏫 Trust me

Trust is a funny thing.

When I was 15, my dad encouraged me to eat an oyster (slurp slurp). Handing it to me, my dad said “Trust me, its good”.

The smell of the oyster betrayed my dad’s good intentions.

My dad was so adamant to have me try the oyster, he paid me $10 if I would try it.

Try it I did, and enjoy it I did not. (he gave me $10 and didn’t require me to eat any more!)

That was one of the last times I trusted my dad’s advice on eating seafood.

But, trust in the workplace is a little bit different and more complex.

Trust Turnaround

Teams siloed. Frequent conflict. Deadlines continually missed. Engagement low. Communication sporadic. Hidden agendas.

Any of these sound familiar? These are all signs that you’re working in a low-trust environment.

This is more important than you think.

A high-trust program will deliver more wins.

A low-trust program will deliver more losses.

How do you fix it? What tools are used to build trust?

The Trust Trifecta is a set of tools to build trust. They are tools to demonstrate your character; to prove your competence.

A Trusted Example

I once faced an initiative at the brink of chaos. Teams were siloed, cross-functional communication was absent, and deadlines were the stuff of legend—rarely seen and hardly believed. To remedy this challenging environment, I stepped into this situation with a “people first” mindset. I wanted to build trust across a fractured program team.

Authenticity

I began by being genuine. Let’s face it, I was the new guy on the program and everyone else had battle scars (and sometimes open wounds).

In every email, meeting, and one-on-one, I was consistently honest, even about uncertainties and potential setbacks. Authenticity became the cornerstone of every interaction, enabling stakeholders to see the human behind the TPM role. They saw me as someone invested in the program's success, just like them.

I was no longer a complete stranger, people began to trust my character.

Empathy

As I got to know the program team members, empathy grew. This wasn't just about understanding the technical frustrations of the engineering team or the strategic concerns of the executives. It was about acknowledging the late hours, the stress of uncertain releases, and the collective striving for a common goal. The human experience of a tough initiative.

In my conversations with program team members, we openly talked about these human experiences. At the root, we wanted to fix those so we could all enjoy working there.

Co-workers started to become partners. Allies, even. This further improved trust in my character.

Transparent Objectivity

Lastly, transparent objectivity was key. Data and metrics weren't just numbers in my reports—they were stories, progress markers, and sometimes, stark realities.

We got more clear on priorities the more data I dug up: number of impacted teams, scale of requests, number of hops through our distributed systems.

I frequently drove complex decisions by surfacing all relevant, cross-functional facts that needed to be considered by the decision makers. This was a game changer. (Decisions with data, whaaaaat?!)

This improved trust in my competence.

So what happened?

Execution got back on track. I’d like to say it was ALL my miraculous approach, but I’d be remiss if I said it was.

My efforts to build trust certainly did have an impact: it steadily improved the environment we were working in. And others began to contribute similarly. And it was the combined effort of trust that made the biggest difference.

Recommended Actions

Implementing the Trust Trifecta isn't just about adopting a new mindset; it's about consistent, daily actions.

Building trust happens as quickly as a sunrise. (Breaking trust can happen as quickly as turning off the lights.)

Here are tangible steps to build trust within your team and initiatives:

• Be Vulnerable: Share your challenges and ask for help. This invites others to do the same and builds mutual respect.

• Listen Actively: In every interaction, listen more than you speak. Understand not just the task at hand, but the person behind it.

• Communicate with Purpose: Whether it's good news or bad, communicate with clarity and intent. Leave no room for doubt that you're there with the team, for the team.

• Lead with Facts, Tempered with Concern: Use data-driven insights to guide decisions, but always pair them with consideration for your team's morale and workload.

Resources

📚 Leadership Coaching from a former Director of TPM

For today’s edition, we’re going to start with a

Priyanka Shinde has gone through it all: has done it all: from an IC TPM working at startups to leading cutting edge products at Meta to leading a TPM organization of 40+ TPMs at Cruise. She is now an executive leadership coach for emerging and ambitious leaders in Tech and is passionate about enabling TPMs to maximize their impact.

Have you found ever found yourself stuck at a certain level or unable to create the desired impact? Wondering what the secret sauce you need to find success in your role?

Priyanka can help you accelerate on your goals through her TPM courses and leadership coaching. (Don’t just believe me, check out her latest post on student-reported outcomes from her latest cohort)

Subscribe to Priyanka’s newsletter to learn more about her upcoming courses and group coaching program.

People

🤝 Jason, a leader developing other leaders

Jason Malwitz contributes often to LinkedIn with on the topic of Leadership and recently received a Top Leadership Voice label on his profile.

Not only does he preach it, he practices it. He currently works for ExxonMobil where he supports the development of leaders in technical roles. Check out his post below about coaching styles leaders need to consider:

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