Last week I had the wonderful opportunity to have lunch with Jade, a former client. Our lunch reminded both of us of the enduring power of trust in professional relationships. My journey with Jade began over a decade ago, when Jade was navigating the early stages of her career. As a junior employee, she often hung back, and often reminded colleagues that she was new in her role. Still, she always displayed remarkable intelligence, ambition, and a willingness to embrace guidance; she was what we call “coachable.”

My role evolved from being her coach to collaborating with her department and team. I worked with her to develop synergy in her organization through retreats, programming, and training. Over the years, I witnessed Jade’s remarkable growth and evolution, culminating in her outgrowing both her company and her role. Always with a growth mindset, Jade sought new horizons, eventually finding herself stationed overseas. While our connection continued through social media, the physical distance weakened it.

Jade’s return to DC sparked a rekindling of our professional bond. We met for lunch and exchanged personal anecdotes, caught up on one another’s families, shared challenges, and reminisced about mutual acquaintances from the past. As our conversation naturally shifted to work, I posed two questions: “How are you feeling about your new role?” and “What is the culture like at your new organization?”

In response, Jade offered candid insights, sharing her thoughts about her new organization. By the end of our long lunch meeting, the server said he was going to stop coming by! The two of us were creating an immediate action plan aimed at enhancing her department’s culture, while acknowledging that a more comprehensive strategy would be next.

Our ability to make such significant progress in a short span of time was created from the trust we had established many years ago. The foundation we had built over a decade proved instrumental, and we were able to dive straight into meaningful work.

While trust was enormously helpful last week, it’s sobering to recognize that once trust is broken, rebuilding can be impossible. Reflecting on your own professional circles, are there individuals with whom you hesitate to share sensitive information?

Conversely, and more positively, consider those with whom you share trusting relationships. Who among your past or present professional contacts could benefit from a reconnection, leveraging the trust established in prior interactions? The strength of past relationships lies in the trust they foster, a force capable of transcending time and distance.