Trust me, I’m reliable!
I was waiting for a train the other day and it was 7 minutes late. Big deal, you say? Well yes, actually, a 7 minute delay is a pretty big deal in Switzerland. Normally you can set your watch by the trains, not that you would ever need to do that. In any case, the trains are remarkably reliable, and this is what people are accustomed to and expect. During peak times there may be a short delay, but generally, trains just arrive when they’re supposed to. People start grumbling after about 30 seconds.
It’s nice to live in a society where you can count on things simply working. The trains are just one example, but really everything in Switzerland operates like… well, you know what. Got a dentist appointment at 10:50? You will be in the chair at 10:50, pretty much guaranteed. Got a craving for a tomato mozzarella sandwich from that nice café down the street? You will not be disappointed: the quality will be consistent every time.
Reliability is certainly a positive aspect of life when a premium is placed on things being predictable, which is the case for most of us. In our über-hectic lives, if we know that we can get from point A to point B within a 5% margin of error 99% of the time, it makes scheduling a breeze. If someone says 6 weeks ahead of time that she will meet you at a given time and place, you know that she will be there, so there’s no need to reconfirm. That type of dependability makes a real difference in quality of life.
As I waited for my train, I started to wonder, what are the larger implications of this? Sure, reliability is great, but does it lead on its own to more or better transactions, ultimately driving economic output? This is where things get a bit murkier.
I was chatting with a colleague recently and mentioned how one of the things I always strive toward in business is being reliable. If I say I’m going to do something, I will move heaven and earth to get it done, on time and as promised. If I don’t have confidence that I can deliver the desired results, I’m clear about that from the beginning. Some people call this managing expectations; to me it’s just common decency. Of course I’m human and will never be 100% dependable, but getting as close as possible to that elusive goal is something that I care deeply about, and I expect the same from the people I work with. In my experience, this fundamental attitude is lacking in most work environments. It has almost become normal to promise superhuman performance, even when it is totally unrealistic and doomed from the start, just to win business or make people happy for a while.
My colleague replied by saying “I know. Business is based on relationships, and if I can’t trust someone, I refuse to work with them again.”
This seemed like a straightforward sentiment, and at first I nodded in agreement. But then I thought about it some more, focusing on the key word “trust”. Is trust interchangeable with reliability?
Getting back to trains, I’ve ridden them in quite a few countries, and with the possible exception of the Japanese Shinkansen, the Swiss system is at the top of the heap. By contrast, riding through Italy or France, while a wonderful way to see the countryside, can be, let’s just say “adventurous.” And don’t even get me started on Amtrak in the United States…
It’s a simple fact that transportation systems can be unreliable, causing inconvenience and annoyance. But does that mean you can’t trust them? Trust is closely related to intent — if someone behaves in a way that makes me think they want to wrong me somehow, I don’t trust them. On the other hand, if I believe that they genuinely want to have a fair relationship with me, even if they are a bit unpredictable, I trust them. When I’m riding a train in a country that doesn’t have a reputation for efficiency, I don’t assume any malicious intent. I basically trust that they want to get me from A to B. I just acknowledge the fact that I may need to budget some extra time to ensure that I don’t miss anything important.
In our everyday lives, it’s clear that trust and reliability do not always go hand in hand. For instance, all things being equal, most people prefer to use small, local businesses, such as banks, restaurants, or auto mechanics. Why? We tend to trust the little guy, even if we know that the big guy may be more reliable. If I feel like a cup of coffee, but only have 20 minutes between meetings, I will generally go to one of the big name coffee chains, because I can rely on a consistent product, even if I don’t trust that my experience as a customer is their top priority. But if I have more time, I will go to a local coffee shop, knowing that it costs more, it’s sometimes slow, and the quality can vary. It’s still worth it to me because I know that their baristas are passionate about coffee and really care about their customers. They have earned my trust and loyalty.
The same duality applies in relationships between people. I have worked with people for whom “reliable” would not be the first word that jumps to mind when describing them, yet I still trust them. This is because after getting to know them over time, I have learned that sometimes they just need an extra reminder about a deadline, or they may tend to make promises under pressure in order to please me, even though they probably can’t do what they said they would. I take their statements with a grain of salt and adjust my expectations accordingly. This kind of dynamic adaptation is completely normal for us humans, and people surely do the same with me. It’s acceptable, up to a point.
The reverse, though less common, can also be true. I have known a few people who have been completely consistent and predictable in our dealings. Yet I don’t fully trust them, because I don’t believe that our relationship comes from a place of mutual respect. Reliability without trust can be useful at times, but it cannot form the basis of a sustainable, long term relationship.
Relationships that are based on trust give us the confidence we need to get started in interacting with each other. Being able to rely on the other party amplifies that trust.
So the next time your train is delayed, remember that trust (being willing to step on the train in the first place) can exist in the absence of reliability (having confidence that the journey will go smoothly). Enjoy the scenery or get some work done, knowing that you will get there eventually.
If you ever have a chance to ride through the majestic Swiss Alps on the Glacier Express, you will see that trust and reliability can be achieved simultaneously.
And if you instill a culture of reliability and trust in your workplace, you will experience both the calmness that comes from having things tick as smoothly as a fine watch, and the higher level of satisfaction that comes from interacting with people, quirks and all, on the basis of good intentions.
Thank you for reading this.
