Why Trust Isn’t Built in Offsites—It’s Built in Execution

By Jordan Imutan
Leadership & Execution Consultant | Creator of STRIDES™

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When leaders say, “We need to build more trust in the team,” what usually follows is a workshop, a team building event, or a motivational speaker.

Now, we love a good offsite. But let’s be honest: real trust isn’t built in big moments.
It’s built in the small, consistent actions that show: “You can count on me.”

In our consulting work across dozens of companies, we’ve seen the same pattern—especially in teams that are still struggling to gel despite all the bonding activities. Here’s the simple truth:

Trust doesn’t grow from more talking.
It grows from better executing.

That’s what we fix inside the STRIDES™ Framework.

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📉 What Kills Trust Faster Than Conflict?

It’s not disagreement. It’s disappointment.

Trust breaks down when:

• Deadlines slip and no one says anything
• People promise but don’t deliver
• Tasks fall through the cracks
• Leaders keep shifting priorities without context
• Everyone’s “busy” but no one is aligned

In one study by Harvard Business Review, over 60% of employees said they don’t fully trust their colleagues to follow through on commitments. Worse—nearly 1 in 3 said they didn’t trust their manager.

That’s not a people problem. It’s a system problem.

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🧠 The Secret to Trust: Consistent Follow-Through

So how do we fix it?

Not by more values posters. Not by “trust falls.”
But by helping teams show up and do what they said they’d do—together.

That’s why we built STRIDES™ with execution rhythms at the core.

In particular, one weekly habit works like magic:

A 25-minute execution check-in—every week, non-negotiable.

Just one short meeting that makes expectations clear, celebrates progress, and removes blockers. When this happens consistently, something shifts:

• People show up prepared
• Commitments become visible
• Progress is tracked in real-time
• No one hides, but no one’s shamed
• The team starts to trust the system—and each other

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🛠 A Client Story: From Distrust to Discipline

We worked with a sales and operations team that was deeply fractured.
Finger-pointing was common. Deliverables were missed. Morale was low.
The manager said, “They don’t trust each other, and I don’t trust them.”

We didn’t run a team-building retreat.
We installed a weekly execution rhythm and trained them on STRIDES™ tools.

After just 5 weeks of implementation:

• On-time delivery of commitments increased by 50%
• Inter-team blaming dropped to almost zero
• The manager said, “This is the most aligned we’ve ever been.”

The trust didn’t come from talking about feelings.
It came from seeing each other follow through week after week.

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🔁 Why STRIDES™ Builds Trust That Sticks

Here’s how the framework works to build a high-trust culture:

✅ Clear Plans – Everyone knows the goal for the next 90 days
✅ Weekly Visibility – Progress is tracked and shared regularly
✅ Safe Escalation – Teams surface problems early, without blame
✅ Role Clarity – Who’s doing what, by when, is always defined
✅ Small Wins Tracked – Even small steps forward are celebrated

Trust grows when systems reduce confusion and encourage contribution.
STRIDES™ creates that environment by design.

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🧰 Want to Try It with Your Team?

Here’s how to build trust through execution this month:

1. Start with a 90-day plan. Don’t overthink it—just define 3 clear goals.
2. Set a 25-minute weekly check-in. Same day, same time, same structure.
3. Track progress visibly. Use red/yellow/green codes for clarity.
4. Celebrate progress, even if small. Momentum builds morale.
5. Escalate blockers early and kindly. Teams solve more when they feel safe.

You don’t need big programs to build trust.
You need consistent follow-through.

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📈 What Could 90 Days of Follow-Through Create?

Imagine what your team would look like if you did this for 12 straight weeks:

• More clarity
• Less confusion
• More wins
• Less stress
• And most of all—more trust

We’ve helped leadership teams across the country transform how they work, by doing less—but doing it better. And we can help you, too.

Please feel free to DM me.

Let’s turn your trust problem into a momentum breakthrough—starting this week.

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