When a Friendly Smile Meets an Incomplete Form: Trust vs. Protocol in the Workplace

Productivity, , ,
Trust vs. Protocol

A few days ago, I found myself in an unusual situation. A friendly, confident doctor handed me a consent form to sign—but it was completely blank. His warm smile and reassuring tone made it seem like a mere formality, but something felt off. Should I sign it based on trust, or should I insist that the details be filled in first? [P.S. the trust was worth, his amazing skill made recovery fast, thanks doc 🙏]

This moment got me thinking, how often does this happen in the corporate world?

It’s a moment that makes you pause. On one hand, you trust this person. They’ve always been kind, professional, and reliable. On the other hand, something feels off. Shouldn’t the form be filled out first? Isn’t there a process to follow?

This scenario isn’t just about healthcare, it’s a universal tension that plays out in workplaces everywhere. It’s the clash between trust and protocol, between human connection and the need for accountability. And it’s a moment that says a lot about culture, values, and how we navigate the gray areas of professional life.

The Power of Trust (and Its Limits)

Let’s start with trust. Trust is the glue that holds teams together. It’s what makes collaboration possible, what turns a group of individuals into a cohesive unit. When your manager or colleague smiles and asks for a favor, it’s hard to say no. You don’t want to seem difficult or overly cautious. After all, they’ve earned your trust, right?

But here’s the thing: trust isn’t a free pass to skip the rules. Protocols exist for a reason—to protect people, ensure fairness, and keep things running smoothly. Signing a blank form, approving a project without details, or bypassing a process might feel harmless in the moment, but it can lead to bigger problems down the line. What if there’s a mistake? What if someone gets hurt? What if the company faces legal or financial consequences?

Trust is essential, but it has its limits. And that’s okay.

The Corporate Culture Angle

This tension between trust and protocol isn’t unique to any one industry. It shows up in tech startups, financial firms, creative agencies, and everywhere in between. In fact, it’s often a reflection of the broader corporate culture.

In some workplaces, the culture prioritizes speed and relationships over strict adherence to rules. “Let’s just get it done” becomes the mantra, and processes are seen as red tape. This can feel empowering at first—like you’re part of a fast-moving, dynamic team. But over time, it can lead to chaos, miscommunication, and even ethical dilemmas.

On the other end of the spectrum are organizations that are so process-driven that they forget the human element. Every decision requires five forms, three approvals, and a committee meeting. While this might reduce risks, it can also stifle creativity and morale.

The sweet spot? A culture that balances trust with accountability, where people feel empowered to speak up when something doesn’t feel right—even if it means slowing things down.

What Would You Do?

So, back to that moment. The friendly smile. The blank form. What would you do?

If you’re like most people, your first instinct might be to go along with it. After all, you don’t want to rock the boat or seem overly cautious. But here’s the thing: asking questions isn’t a sign of distrust. It’s a sign of professionalism.

Politely saying, “I’d be happy to sign this—can we just fill in the details first?” isn’t rude or difficult. It’s responsible. It shows that you care about doing things right, even when it’s inconvenient. And it sends a message that you value both the relationship and the process.

Why This Matters

At its core, this isn’t just about forms or signatures. It’s about how we navigate the gray areas of professional life. It’s about finding the balance between trust and accountability, between human connection and the need for structure.

In a world where speed and relationships often take priority, it’s easy to overlook the importance of protocols. But the truth is, they’re there for a reason. They protect us. They keep us honest. And they ensure that, no matter how friendly the smile, we’re all playing by the same rules.

So the next time someone slides a blank form across the table, take a moment to pause. Trust your instincts. And remember: it’s okay to ask questions. After all, the best relationships—whether in healthcare, corporate life, or anywhere else—are built on both trust and accountability.

Have a nice day ahead.

AI Generated, Prompt Engineering by Sumit W

Think Differently and Think Again

GoodRead, Productivity, , , ,

Management attention is the ultimate constraint!

Eliyahu M. Goldratt

When it comes to new ideas and innovations from the team, the ultimate bottleneck is management. Their time and interest define whether the ideas are going to see the light of day! And as usual, words drown in various biases, and a billion-dollar idea will be killed without even realising its potential, just because the manager could not agree or find time to “rethink” his objections. Clearly, it’s not a new issue.

When iPhone peaches to Steve Jobs, he ridiculed it initially, believing that a mobile phone should focus on essential functions rather than extravagant features. It was he who was thinking differently while reviving Apple and avoiding bankruptcy, ultimately leading to the creation of the revolutionary iPod, which transformed how the world consumed music. However, it was his ingenious team, fueled by innovation and creativity, who dared to think again and found a compelling use case for the iPod as a phone. They envisioned a seamless integration of music, communication, and internet capabilities within a single device, thus paving the way for what would become the iPhone and revolutionizing the entire smartphone industry in the process. Through their collaborative efforts, they not only changed the way individuals interacted with technology but also set a new standard for what a mobile device could achieve in our daily lives.

For sure, each successful enterprise has an innovative founder, however it’s the team who make the enterprise succeed again and again and give the edge.

The book “Think Again” by Adam Grant, discusses the importance of rethinking and unlearning in a changing world. It emphasizes the value of being open to changing one’s mind and embracing doubt. Confidence combined with humility leads to better rethinking and learning. Challenging our own beliefs and seeking new perspectives can improve decision-making. Encouraging others to question their assumptions can lead to more open-minded conversations.

🦾 Modes of Thinking

It’s important to recognise the mode that we operate in while discussing an idea with someone. Especially when the ideas is not belongs to us, but we are the decision makers. The three modes quoted in the books are preachers, prosecutors, and politicians.

In each of these modes, we take on a particular identity and use a distinct set of tools. We go into preacher mode when our sacred beliefs are in jeopardy: we deliver sermons to protect and promote our ideals. We enter prosecutor mode when we recognize flaws in other people’s reasoning: we marshal arguments to prove them wrong and win our case. We shift into politician mode when we’re seeking to win over an audience: we campaign and lobby for the approval of our constituents. The risk is that we become so wrapped up in preaching that we’re right, prosecuting others who are wrong, and politicking for support that we don’t bother to rethink our own views.

🔬 One more mode “Scientists” mode

The mode which emphasis on questions everything is called as Scientist mode. For sure, it’s a methodology which researchers are trained to use, it’s not limited to white lab coats. This mode comes to action when we are in search of truth. The way to operate this mode is build the hypothesis, which you like to make it happen, and test this hypothesis by discovering knowledge.

The biggest hurdle of using Scientist mode is “ego”, and “we have done everything in past” a status quo bias.

✋Status quo bias

This cognitive bias leads people to prefer maintaining current practices or traditional methods, often resisting changes or new approaches. It’s driven by a comfort with the familiar and a perception that past methods are inherently safer or more effective.

In organizational settings, this bias can hinder innovation, as it causes people to dismiss new ideas by overvaluing past successes. Another related concept is sunk cost fallacy, where past investments in a particular approach make people reluctant to abandon it, even if it’s no longer the best option.

⁉️ How to “Think Again”?

It’s all really come down to acknowledging that we are prone to these biases, and overcoming this will truly bring innovations to organisation and will sustain growth long term. Few practices mentioned below, which I believed from my experience are really helpful. Also few of them are also aligned to over all theme of “Think Again” practice mentioned by Adam Grant.

1. Embrace a Scientist Mindset: Approach ideas like a scientist rather than a preacher, prosecutor, or politician. This involves forming hypotheses, experimenting, and being willing to change beliefs based on new evidence, which can help challenge assumptions about past practices.

2. Rethink Familiar Practices: Grant suggests actively questioning the effectiveness of familiar practices and regularly asking, “What if we tried a different approach?” This helps counter the comfort of “we’ve always done it this way.”

3. Encourage Intellectual Humility: Recognize that being wrong is a natural part of learning. Leaders can set an example by admitting mistakes and valuing learning over being right, which encourages others to embrace new ideas and reduce reliance on the past.

4. Seek Diverse Perspectives: Invite input from people outside the usual circle who may offer fresh viewpoints. This approach helps expose blind spots and reduces the tendency to default to what’s been done before.

5. Focus on Small Wins: Trying small, low-stakes experiments with new ideas can make people more open to change. These incremental steps help build confidence in different approaches without overwhelming the organization.

🔖 Summary

The approach of “Think again” and “Think Different” is a practice which make us pause before getting overwhelmed by the newness of the idea.

A pause and change in perception will bring the focus back to this question of how to think differently and think again, for the concept which we may think not worth of our time.

Management being ultimate gate keeper of the funds and resources, are the responsible ones who should practice “Think Again” and allow team to “Think differently”.

I hope this small blog will bring some insights and will help you “Think Differently”