Repair trust without theater
Make a clean apology and a concrete fix to restore credibility.
See integrity in your Spectrum (HEXACO)Why this works
Owning the impact and fixing one concrete thing shows reliability fast, which repairs trust.
Try these drills
Name it to tame it (30 seconds)
30 seconds- Notice the emotion in one word.
- Say quietly: 'I feel …'.
- Let the label lower the intensity by about 10 percent.
Outcome: Lower reactivity; more choice.
Mechanism: Putting a word to a feeling quiets the brain's alarm system, so the feeling feels smaller and you can choose better.
Scripts
Clean apology
- you: I missed the expectation and that affected your timeline. I will do X by end of day and add Y check. Anything else you need?
Why this works: Owning impact plus a concrete fix restores trust faster than excuses or vague promises.
Credit rules
- you: Before we wrap: Priya solved the blocker; Dev wrote the critical path; I coordinated with ops. Thanks, team.
Why this works: Clear credit lowers politics and raises morale, so people want to work with you again.
What to measure
- fewer escalations
- time to agreement
- post meeting sentiment
FAQ
Is this therapy?▼
No. This is work skill training, not medical advice.
How fast will I see change?▼
Many people notice a change within a week if they do one drill daily.
Do I need my manager's approval?▼
No. Start with your own skills. Teams can add it later.