Peter Kim is a professor at the University of Southern California—Marshall School of Business and the award-winning author of “How Trust Works.” Dr. Kim’s research on social misperception and trust dynamics is published in top journals across management and psychology and is supported by the National Science Foundation, State Farm Foundation, and Kellogg Dispute Resolution Research Center.

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Show Notes

• “The stories we tell are as, if not more, important than what happened.” [8:29] As Peter Kim introduces his research on trust, he discusses how the narratives we portray and the reasons behind actions are the key pieces behind trust. This couldn’t be a more critical point when society is so divided. 

• “Trust starts at 0 and only builds gradually over time as we get to know one another… It turns out that that’s not the case. The evidence indicates we actually start with a very high inclination to trust.” [14:03] Where does trust start and build? Peter explains how there are a lot of cues that nurture the high initial trust, which can be as simple as going to the same school, hailing from the same city, or having the same political affiliation. Peter also points out that, as easily as this initial trust can be nurtured, it can also be easily broken and violated.

• “What I’ve found is that as soon as you see it as a violation of integrity or an indication that they lack integrity… it’s almost impossible to repair that relationship.” [22:25] Is it possible to rebuild and repair trust? Peter explains that people in general do not believe that integrity can improve, but if they switch the lens of the reason for that breach of trust to be a competence issue like a lack of understanding or pressure from another factor, it is more likely for the trust to be repaired because we can see and believe that people can learn and increase competence. 

• “We see those in positions of power differently. We believe, for example, that CEOs, if they are involved in a transgression, it’s more intentional.” [30:36] Similar to the way trust is perceived between outside groups, trust is more divided between positions of power and the people below them. CEOs face a difficult challenge of perception where people question their integrity and, even more so, the genuineness of their remorse when trying to correct transgressions. Peter explains how CEOs can rule out the idea or challenge of a ‘lack of integrity’ through their actions and the relationships they create with their followers and employees. 

• “Most people do want to do the right thing; [Netflix] has found [their HR policy] has been an extraordinarily helpful way of reducing bureaucracy, enabling freedom, creativity, and productivity at the organization. That is an approach based on seeing the good in people, believing people are trustworthy, and creating the atmosphere that allows that to flourish.” [35:52] Peter shares an example from the company Netflix in which their policy embodies the act of trust. Other organizations can also create this really effective environment of natural trust.

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Mentioned in this episode:

• Peter H. Kim, PhD, Author
• Peter Kim – Professor – University of Southern California – Marshall School of Business | LinkedIn 
• Marcel Schwantes on  LinkedIn
• Marcel Schwantes

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