The Framework
Five pillars. One lens. A way to see trust not as a feeling — but as a pattern of real, recordable moments.
Most tools that claim to measure trust ask you to rate it. Rate your manager on a scale of 1 to 5. Rate how much you feel heard. These tools produce data that reflects how people feel in the moment — which is useful, but incomplete.
The TRUST Ledger takes a different approach. Instead of asking you to evaluate, it asks you to record. What happened? When? Which pillar of trust did it touch? Was it building or breaking? How significant was it?
The score emerges from the evidence — not from a snapshot of your current mood, but from the accumulated record of real moments over time. This is what makes it a ledger, not a survey.
Authentic and open communication. Captures moments of honesty, disclosure, clarity — and the omissions that matter.
Reflection prompt
Was there a moment of honesty or a missed opportunity for openness?
Consistent delivery with mutual accountability. Captures promises kept or broken, follow-through, and the pattern of showing up.
Reflection prompt
Did someone follow through on a commitment, or fall short?
Empathy, shared purpose, and mutual benefit. Captures alignment, shared goals, and the commitment to outcomes that work for everyone.
Reflection prompt
Was there a moment of alignment — or misalignment — around shared goals?
Mechanisms that safeguard and enable trust. Captures process integrity, policy adherence, and the structures that protect or erode trust.
Reflection prompt
Did a process, policy, or structure support or undermine trust?
Resilience in rebuilding trust after setbacks. Captures conflict resolution, repair efforts, and the willingness to restore what was broken.
Reflection prompt
Was there an effort to repair, acknowledge, or rebuild after a breakdown?
Every ledger starts at 50 — neutral. Each entry you record moves the score up or down based on its direction and impact. The score is not a judgment. It is a running balance.
Trust has significantly deteriorated. Repair is needed.
Trust is present but unstable. Tread carefully.
The starting point. Neither building nor breaking.
Trust is building consistently. Keep going.
Trust is solid and compounding. Protect it.
The decision point. When CT is positive, cooperation is the rational choice.
What you gain right now from this relationship or partnership.
What continued trust will yield over time.
The full cost if trust breaks.
Your current ledger score, expressing how strong trust is in this relationship.
The formula doesn't measure trust — it tells you whether cooperation is worth pursuing given current trust levels. I and F are fixed by the nature of the opportunity. When your ledger score is high, the risk term shrinks and cooperation becomes obvious. When trust is low, R looms large and opportunity stays out of reach. Every entry you record makes trust visible — so you can improve it, and unlock the cooperation that was always possible.