It’s been a major “secret” of mine to trust everyone immediately in every possible situation.
Here’s an example:
When I took over the family company, I made a couple immediate suggestions to the operation:
- Let everyone do their specific job the way THEY felt was best – as long as it was completed in the time frame necessary, I didn’t care. This meant if you want to come in at 11am or leave by 2:30 to be home to watch your kid play soccer, it didn’t matter. I met much resistance with this from my partners because it wasn’t ‘standard’ and it was a continuous battle to prove how it would enrich the company.
But I digress, because the NEXT change proved my madness;
- Trust every person from day one 100%. Unless they prove me wrong.
I’ve lived by this rule all my life; and I’ve been “screwed” many times over.
So, why do you think I still employ it?
The reason is simple: if someone has a single interest to get you, they will. In a “normal” society, people will “stay in the game” for as long as they need to take advantage of their target. Don’t you agree?
Again, we’re talking about a person who is looking for just one outcome.
Here’s proof:
Back in my family company with more than 25 employees, we had no idea who was stealing product from shipping because there were 3 people doing one job.
I streamlined the operation assigning one person to the task “because I trust you can do this alone more efficiently working how you feel best, without help or supervision.” It took two tries, but the product went missing again.
I won’t bore you with the details of how we ‘caught’ them in the act and proved our case, but the point is…that person proved me wrong because they ‘saw an opening to misuse my trust’.
“Friends, Colleagues, Etc., Are The Same…”
You’ve often heard the saying “you’ll really find out who your friends are…” right? Well the process solidifies friendships, relationships and eliminates toxic ones from your life faster than you can imagine.
I believe; “if someone is out to get me regardless, then let’s get it over with as soon as possible so I can make room for better people.”
But this doesn’t mean my BS radar is broken, or that I let every situation play out to completion, it’s exactly the opposite – you’d be surprised how fast people let ‘their’ guard down when they think they don’t have to work so hard to fool you, so you can end the relationship without damage to you.
Whether you agree or not, this has worked wonders for me from my very first business at 18. It’s flushed out phony people VERY QUICKLY because ‘normal society’ is not used to it…most people work on the ‘standard’ of having to build trust, like a mole, but, if they see me with my guard down immediately, they tend to think I’m an idiot, so they strike and show their true colours.
On the FLIP, imagine what someone is thinking when they sense they can be themselves and NOT have to prove anything? You just respect and take them for who they are…and that’s why I can tell you that the true relationships I have are just that…TRUE – I can be who I am and I KNOW who my friends are and I love that.
What do you think? Can you adopt this simple ‘filtering’ process in your life?