Hey Friend,

In last week’s newsletter, we explored how trust isn't mushy or subjective but is actually comprised of eight measurable elements (reliability, credibility, relationships, healthy ego, fairness, authenticity, compassion, and integrity). Perhaps that has helped you frame some of the "trust issues" you might be experiencing on your team or in your life.

This week, I'd like to share some thoughts on a topic that's been on my mind since I led a workshop for the Millennial Manager Collective last week — the intersection between trust and ambiguity.

Here are two truths:

• Ambiguity naturally makes us trust less. When things are unclear or uncertain, our brains tend to fill the gaps with "head trash," which may manifest as fear, doubt, a trauma response, and/or self-criticism. We second-guess ourselves, assume the worst in others, and wonder if systems are rigged or failing us. We also perceive the world around us as more hostile.

AND AT THE SAME TIME...

• Low-trust or trust-negative environments breed more ambiguity and make the unknown harder to handle. When people don't trust each other, they withhold information, sugarcoat the truth, and work in silos. Leaders become less transparent, teams stop asking questions, and systems get murky. The less trust there is, the fuzzier everything feels.

That’s the paradox: ambiguity erodes trust, and low trust creates even more ambiguity. It’s a self-reinforcing loop that makes work feel more confusing, more stressful, and more adversarial than it needs to be.

BLAH! UGH! OOPH!

Unfortunately for most of us, ambiguity and uncertainty are permanent and inevitable conditions of work and life, which means that the only real lever we have is trust and building trust-positive humans and workplaces.
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A Quick Example

Two teams are given the same vague directive: “We need to move faster this quarter.”

• In a low-trust or trust-negative team, ambiguity sparks anxiety. People whisper about hidden agendas, assume leaders are dissatisfied, or worry their jobs are at risk. Work slows down because no one wants to make the wrong move, and some quietly start polishing résumés.
• In a high-trust or trust-positive team, ambiguity sparks curiosity. People feel safe enough to ask clarifying questions, experiment, and share their thinking openly. Instead of stalling or hiring a career coach, they seek to co-create clarity together.

Same level of ambiguity, totally different outcomes, all because of the team's Trust Factor.

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How Trust Mitigates Ambiguity

• Self-trust helps us believe we can navigate uncertainty and sustain ourselves even without all the answers.
• Trust in teammates lets us lean on colleagues instead of slipping into suspicion, pointing fingers, or exclusion.
• Trust in leaders reassures us that direction will emerge and we will be safe, even if it isn’t immediate.
• Trust in systems makes the ground feel steady, even when the future feels shaky.

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The Opportunity

Leaders can’t eliminate ambiguity, but they can minimize its harmful effects by anchoring in the trust-building behaviors of our trust factor. These are the antidotes that keep teams from spinning out when the path ahead is murky.

That’s exactly what I dig into in our first ChatGMB episode*: Minimizing Ambiguity and Maximizing Predictability in Uncertain Times.​
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🎧 Listen to the episode here​

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Need Help?

Reloveution specializes in building trust-positive leaders, teams, and organizations. Please reply to this email or book a connection call to explore ways we can help you and your teammates sustainably navigate current times, no matter how uncertain or rocky.
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Here for you through all the madness,
Marissa

*Introducing: ChatGMB: Wisdom & Insights for Modern Leaders

A new private "podcast" production of Reloveution. Episodes are pre-recorded, long-form audio workshops, honest conversations, or casual hot takes on the specific leadership and culture topics that repeatedly surface in our consulting, coaching, and facilitation work.

GMB stands for “the Great Marissa Badgley” — a nickname my husband lovingly uses to remind me that I am great, good, competent, courageous, and enough. The name is also a playful nod to ChatGPT, which so many of us rely on for answers (maybe more than we should). Think of this as the human alternative: honest real talk, wisdom sharing, and actionable strategies on the specific leadership and culture topics that surface again and again in my consulting, coaching, and facilitation work.

You can subscribe to never miss an episode (and support our production) here.