I recently had a conversation with someone that closed with a bit of advice that I wasn’t expecting.
The advice was three simple words that messed with me for the rest of week.
Trust No One.
Now this was the second time someone had shared this bit of advice with me. It immediately brought me back to 1999 and my old agency recruiting days. I had just joined a new firm and I found myself walking back to the office with a group of coworkers after lunch. One of the guys asked me to hang back a bit to let the group get ahead of us. Once there was sufficient distance, he shared with me that bit of unsolicited advice.
Then, like now, I felt uneasy for the rest of the week. After working for that firm for three months, I was brought into an office, confronted with looking for a new job and then fired. It was complete bullshit and I was happy to be free.
I was on the job market for a total of 8 hours. I started a new job a week later and the rest they say is history.
Fast forward twelve years and this bit of advice rings in my ears again. The players have changed but the rules are still the same.
Trust issues are not as prevalent now at this stage of my career, but the advice still resonates with me on a visceral level.
Immediately after getting that bit of advice last week, the next thing I said to them was “Well, can I trust you?”
My friend rolled their eyes and smiled “Of course you can” they replied.
And you know what…. I still do.
Photo Credit: http://www.etsy.com/listing/24650300/trust-no-one-button-pin-badge-1-12-inch
