Published September 26, 2024 · 5 min read

We all know that transparency builds trust. The lack of it? Well, that can lead to major issues. Engineers sometimes join teams and, from the start, struggle with trust. It’s as if information is being kept from them. Have you experienced that? I have seen examples of that throughout my career. I’ve often been asked, "Why does X do that?" or "Why is Y hiding this?" It’s easy to jump to conclusions and think that someone is intentionally withholding information. But, more often than not, the reality is different.

The real problem usually comes down to a lack of engagement, poor documentation, or insufficient visibility. These gaps fuel trust issues and can quickly escalate into a much bigger problem. 

Engineer excluded from a meeting room

Common Causes of Trust Breakdown

When an engineer joins a new team, they want to get up to speed. That’s what good engineers do. But what happens when they try to engage and get minimal responses? Frustration. They start feeling lost, challenged, and eventually suspicious. "Is someone deliberately ignoring me?" or "Do they not want me to succeed?" This kind of thinking can spiral quickly. The truth is, the team might be busy, oncall, dealing with other priorities, or very likely waiting for others to chime in, but they don’t realize that this lack of response is damaging. That’s something most of them aren’t aware of and should be told. The simple fix? Assign someone to be responsible for answering questions on a weekly basis. This person can escalate or seek additional input from others who might have the right knowledge.

Visibility is another key factor. Whether it’s meetings or private channels, exclusion can easily breed suspicion. Let’s say you create a private channel and only invite three people, leaving out person X. X starts wondering why they weren’t included. The same goes for meetings. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this. It’s human nature. When people don’t know what’s happening, they start making assumptions. The simple fix? Ask if others want to be involved before excluding them. It’s better to prevent issues than to deal with the fallout.

Let’s talk about the biggest culprit: lack of documentation. This is a real problem. When information isn’t easily accessible, people start thinking it’s being hidden. They get frustrated, tired, and start asking unnecessary questions. Good documentation can prevent a lot of this, but when it’s missing, it becomes the root of many problems. You might think being indispensable because you have all the knowledge is a good thing, but it’s not. It makes you a blocker. Trust me, that’s not the way to go. The simple fix? Make documentation part of the definition of done for each large task. 

Psychology Behind It

Now, why do people react this way? Psychologically, humans are wired to distrust when there’s a lack of information. It’s called the information gap theory. When we don’t know something, our brains naturally try to fill in the blanks. That’s where suspicions start. If you don’t have all the facts, your mind creates a story. Guess what? That story isn’t positive. That’s how a simple lack of response can suddenly feel like sabotage. People need transparency because it gives them control. Without transparency, people feel powerless. That simply triggers all sorts of negative feelings such as frustration, insecurity, and sometimes even paranoia.

Another factor at play here is the fundamental attribution error. This is where we tend to assume other people’s behaviors are driven by internal factors rather than external circumstances. So when a teammate doesn’t reply or gives a short response, we think, "They don’t care about me," instead of, "Maybe they’re just busy." It’s a cognitive bias that causes us to judge people harshly, and in a team environment, this can be disastrous. The solution is empathy. I know many people mention it but if you don’t exercise it enough, you really don’t get it.  Understanding that people are often dealing with things we don’t see. But that’s easier said than done, especially in fast paced environments.

Wrapping it Up

In the end, trust in teams or across teams comes down to clear communication, empathy, and access to information. Whether you’re a people leader or not, there are a few ways you can foster transparency and trust. Start by trying to make most things open. Overcommunicate. By the way, there’s no harm in doing so. People assume otherwise but in my opinion, that’s never the case. Regularly share updates, progress, and challenges with the team. Don’t wait for someone to ask for information; proactively offer it, and encourage others to do the same.

As a team member, you can make your work visible. You can use shared tools, update relevant channels, and document everything. If you're leading a meeting or a project, ask people if they want to be included rather than assuming.

For people leaders, put together ways of working that support transparency. Make sure your team documents their work. Ask them to create knowledge sharing sessions and remove unnecessary barriers to information. Ensure that your team has the time and resources to keep communication flowing, even when they're busy or especially oncall. “I’m busy. I will get back to you later.” is much better than radio silence. Lastly, regularly ask your team how they're feeling about information sharing and trust, and be ready to make adjustments.

By applying these practical steps, you can create an environment where trust naturally grows, no matter your role in the team.