Last Thursday we turned off our phones and dashboards to sit on the porch and talk. We shared stories of our families and our histories, from the novel – discovering an ancestor was an assassinated president (Garfield for the curious), to life-changing tales of rescuing drowning children and close calls in the ICU. We laughed at embarrassing accounts of college acapella performances, past jobs, and bad tattoos. The most meaningful and productive conversations, however, were about what we wanted mediate.ly to be. Our goal for the day was ambitious. To paraphrase Simon Sinek, we wanted to imagine a company (our company) where we felt inspired, safe, and fulfilled. We all chose to be on the mediate.ly team for a reason. The sun, sand, and water helped bring clarity as to WHY we are in this together. TRUST emerged as a core theme for the day. The need for trust can sound cliché, but it is real. Our clients trust us with their business – that is not something we take lightly. But, how is trust built and what are the components? In between popsicles and kombucha, we dove into the elements of trust. The team took a hard look at how trust forms. Here are some of the qualities of trust:
- Consistency over time
- Honest feedback
- No fear
- Level of comfort
- No judgement
- Approachable
- No spin
- Assumes positive intent
- Clear and consistent communication
- Responsive
Trust is a challenge for me. I admitted that to the team - my first step in recovery. The conversation was cathartic, humbling, and real. There were no trust falls. We did not walk on hot coals or build spaghetti and marshmallow towers. But, we did find our “why”. At mediate.ly, we are driven every day to deliver a better quality of life - for our clients, for consumers, and for one another. Not a bad place to be, trust me.