Brené and Barrett on BRAVING Trust, Part 1 of 2

What It Covers

Brené Brown and Barrett Guillen introduce the BRAVING framework for building workplace trust through small daily moments rather than grand gestures, explaining why trust conversations feel threatening and how marble jar moments accumulate over time.

Key Questions Answered

• •Marble Jar Concept: Trust builds through tiny consistent moments, not sweeping gestures. Like a classroom marble jar that fills with good behavior, workplace trust accumulates through small daily actions like asking about someone's weekend or checking in after noticing distraction during meetings.
• •Two-Word Check-Ins: Start meetings by having each person share two words describing their current state. Leaders must follow up privately with struggling team members asking what support looks like, which takes under five minutes but prevents micro-betrayals and builds psychological safety systematically.
• •Sliding Door Moments: John Gottman's research shows trust builds or breaks in split-second decisions. Stopping to check on a sad colleague instead of rushing past represents trust-building, while ignoring distress constitutes betrayal. These micro-moments determine relationship trajectories more than major events.
• •Leader Permission Setting: Whatever leaders bring into meetings becomes acceptable for the team. Starting with vulnerability and humanity signals that feelings matter alongside deliverables. Without explicit invitation, team members compartmentalize struggles, reducing performance and creating distrust through emotional severing and disconnection.