Similar dynamics can be identified when considering the Essentials and the Essence of Trust. Similarly, the Essential factors are those that contribute to the establishment of Trust in an interpersonal relation, group or organization. In previous essays in this series, I have identified some of the Essential factors that contribute to the attainment of Trust. These factors are often related to specific decisions made by and actions taken by individual members of a social system. By contrast, the Essence of Trust is found and displayed at the moment when there is sufficient Trust to declare “Victory”—leading to the identification and full appreciation of Home (S²)! Th Essence of Trust is also discovered and displayed at the moment when “Victory” can be declared with regard to the accumulation of sufficient Trust (competency, intentions, shared perspectives) so that one can begin a Quest (O²) as an individual or as member of a group or organization.
All of this makes sense when considering a baseball game or the engagement and use of Trust in a stable, manageable setting. Even the polarities of Home and Quest can be readily managed under conditions of calm and certainty. However, a baseball game is played in a quite different manner during a rainstorm or when the players and fans face the threat of thunder and lightning. The players bravely play a bit differently when confronting this “messy” situation—or the game can even be called off. The mid-21st Century conditions of VUCA-Plus produce conditions that are threatening and messy. We are all “players” in this VUCA-Plus world.
I have proposed that a Lens of Trust resides at the heart of critical transformative processes when we are confronted with a storm of vulnerability, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity, turbulence and/or contradiction. The challenging VUCA-Plus conditions can be transformed into integrative conditions of security and safety (S²) (Home) alongside opportunity and openness (O²) (Quest) when the Essence of Trust is secured. Trust resides at the heart of many transformative processes—and is to be prized as an invaluable prerequisite and desirable outcome in the navigation of our stormy mid-21st Century life and work. We would rather not cancel the game . . .
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References
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Bergquist, William (2024) Finding Essence in a VUCA-Plus World IV: Trust, Optimization and Polarity Management. Library of Professional Coaching. Link: https://libraryofprofessionalcoaching.com/concepts/decison-making-and-problem-solving/finding-essence-in-a-vuca-plus-world-iv-trust-optimization-and-polarity-management/
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