I’m on a culture kick the last few weeks, as it’s been a hot topic of conversation with clients lately. This week’s tip focuses on the problem with using conventional measures to figure out whether organization-wide trust initiatives are working, and what to do about it.

In short, there’s a difference between smart metrics, and wise metrics.

I got a flyer in my mailbox the other day that first I loved, and then I hated. Emotional roller coaster aside, I recognized a critical trust lesson for us all that has to do with true customer focus. It’s more evasive than we realize.

Have you ever had an awkward moment greeting a client, where the unspoken question for both of you was, “Should we hug?” While this question might seem silly (or even unprofessional) on the surface, don’t bail on me just yet. I think it actually gets to the heart of some important trust-related issues. Over the years I’ve discovered four simple guidelines that help me sort out the right answer.

Some of you know we moved to a new house this summer. We’ve been doing a bunch of renovations, yielding no shortage of lessons learned from interactions with contractors and suppliers. One such lesson—a surprising take on reliability—applies equally to the kind of people who read these tips.

I’m not a big fan of small talk. I don’t like doing anything that seems superficial or disingenuous. Plus, I’m an introvert. And every once-in-a-while I still feel like the ridiculously shy kid I once was. So small talk also seems like large effort.