Beneath the simplest gesture there is a power move at play.
We stroll into a beach bar in Malaysia. Yes, it’s sunny and 25 degrees, it’s bliss.
The caipirinhas are ordered and the guy lets us have a tab. No card required, no questions asked, a free pass.
What a revelation!
Alas, this is not about a tab.
He led with trust. And now it’s my move. The power is in my hands.
He’s laid the foundations for this relationship, and it’s built on trust.
Invitation accepted, I feel a sense of duty to repay him however I can (like not disappearing into the sunset without paying).
The alternative is to lead with distrust.
To engage in a transactional relationship. A service or good in exchange for money.
It can work, but the roots are shallow.
When the storm comes, can the relationship weather it?
In the context of the employer / employee relationship, an employer gets to choose the relationship it creates with its employees.
Foster deep relationships built on trust, or shallow relationships built on transactions.
A “please do X because Y” relationship or a “you must do X in exchange for Z” relationship.
Which kind of relationships do you choose?
🔸🔸🔸
A woman came over with our drinks and a card machine,
“If you want more drinks you can open another tab”
Maybe they didn’t trust us after all.
Stoirm
