Clarity supports trust.
When colleagues, friends, and family members know what you are doing and why you are doing it, trust generally grows, however when what you are doing, why you do it, and how it goes is a mystery, trust typically wanes.
I thought about this recently as one program area I work with is mysterious. There's rarely any communication. The goals of the work are unclear and efforts questionable. There seems to be no structure, big think, or honest action with regard to the effort. I've inquired, made suggestions, and tried to understand this program, however, I rarely witness anything that makes me trusting or desiring to get involved. Yet the mission of the program is critical so I will continue to think about how I might embrace and engage with this valuable mission and program in honest, trusting, vauable ways.
On the other hand, there is another program that I work with that is almost entirely transparent. The roles, routines, and efforts are clear. The objective is transparent. The goal is worthy. There is good trust with regard to this program, and with greater openness and more modern process, this program will continue to grow with trust and good result.
As I think of the connection between clarity and trust, I am thinking about the programs that I am mostly devoted to--how do I make the efforts trustworthy and understandable. Presently I share the learning/teaching menu with all involved so they know what's coming up. The challenge is that the plan is constantly changing to meet students needs. I am trying to focus more transparently on patterns of service so that everyone knows what's going on and adding their expertise to the mix of student teaching, service, and support. Further I am working to see snags and problems in the teaching arena as opportunities for individual and shared growth as I seek the promise in problems while navigating the teaching/learning road towards betterment.
There's always more we can do to teach and learn well--to be clear is to invite trust. I will work towards that, and in the meantime, for those who don't value or subscribe to clarity, I'll tread gently routing my teaching/learning path in the direction of trust versus those confusing, mysterious, and questionable paths of practice and share.
