The priority change that never reaches the record is where confidence quietly goes.
You agreed the customer work came first. Months later the old deadline shows as missed. The employee now doubts the next agreement, not just this one.
Companion to the white paper · Performance management
People read the process as evidence about you.
Every review tells an employee whether they can rely on the next agreement. This page turns the paper into three things you can do this week, one template, and an optional way to practise it.
The idea
The idea in three lines
A quota can make a manager say something they don't believe.
If everyone met the standard and the curve still needs a "below expectations", the label no longer describes the work. That is a process rule, and it goes to the process owner.
The employee decides how much to rely on you.
A completed form tells you little about that decision. So ask them, and count what you did.
Trust Leader definition Trust is someone's confidence in you with something they care about.
Before your next review
Three things to try
Each takes under 15 minutes. None needs software. Each has a trigger, something to say, and a check so you can see whether it is becoming a habit.
1 The same-day priority note
When: you change someone's priority.
"We've agreed the customer issue now comes first. That moves the project date to 14 March. I'll update your objective by Thursday."
Check: at review, count the priority changes that had a note, for example 6 of 9.
2 The missing-evidence question
When: before you finalise an assessment.
"What should I know that might change this account?"
Check: note the answer and what you did with it. If nothing changed, can you explain why?
3 The Monday question
When: the last five minutes of any review.
"What will you do differently this week, and what do you need from me?"
Check: book the follow-up before you leave. Did you deliver your part by the date you gave?
Free template
The priority change record
Copy it into a shared note with each person you manage. It keeps the agreement and the record in step, so the review reflects the work that was actually asked for.
Over six weeks, the count tells you whether the habit is holding. Keep the numbers, not just the percentage.
Priority change record · [Name] · [Period]
| Date | What changed | Effect on earlier objective | Record updated? |
|---|---|---|---|
| [date] | [customer issue first] | [project moves to …] | [yes, by …] |
| [date] | […] | […] | […] |
Count: [__] of [__] priority changes recorded within the time you agreed.
No software needed
Run it as a six-week check with one team
- Identify
Pull the last 10 priority changes. How many reached the record?
- Design
Agree the same-day note and who can update the record.
- Practise
Use it on every real change for six weeks.
- Reflect
Count again, ask each person one question, and decide what to keep.
The five Trust Questions
The five Trust Questions
- 01
Do they believe what I say?
- 02
Do they believe I'll do what I said?
- 03
Do they believe I can handle what's needed?
- 04
Do they feel I really understand them?
- 05
Do they believe I act with their interests in mind?
Illustration · fictional data, not a client result
Try it on yourself first
The actions above work on their own. The free trial lets you practise one behaviour in one of your own working relationships. Here it is with a fictional manager and Priya.
You and Priya
Scored 1 (rarely) to 5 (consistently)
What you need from them
Her honest view of what's getting in the way, before mid-year.
What they care about
Being judged on the work she was actually asked to do.
Biggest gap
Delivery & Consistency
Your Behaviour Playlist
For the behaviour your Trust Map points to
Activity 1Done
Outcome: a change of plan reaches the person it affects the same day.
Activity 27 min
Outcome: the record matches what you agreed.
Activity 3Unlocks next
Reflection
How useful was this activity?
★★★★★
When you confirmed the change the same day, what did you notice?
"She asked for the new date to go in her objectives. First time she's raised it herself."
Anything else you noticed? · Optional
Two older changes still to record.
Who can see this?
Only meShare with my coach
Trust Maps, Reflections and Journal entries are development records. Keep them out of ratings, pay and formal decisions, including capability processes.
Start with yourself
From yourself to your managers
Try it on your own relationship
- Map one of your own working relationships
- Choose one Behaviour Playlist and work through it yourself
- Reflect on what changed, and re-score your Trust Map after 14 days
Use it with your managers
- Assign prepared Behaviour Playlists to individuals or groups
- Each participant works through them alongside their development conversations
- Their Reflections come back to the next conversation
Read the full argument and the research
The white paper covers what the research shows about appraisal and trust, forced distributions, and how to keep development separate from formal decisions.
Trust Telegraph
Not ready to try it yet?
Short, practical thinking for people whose work depends on other people’s confidence.
Examples on this page are fictional. Hub screens are illustrations. Trust Leader makes no claim of demonstrated results.