It was more than a few years ago when I first heard the phrase “Trust, but verify” from a colleague. Originally a Russian proverb, it was popularized in the west by Ronald Reagan in the context of nuclear disarmament discussions.

And I never quite got it. I get it as a punchline, sure, but as a policy I always struggled with it. “I trust you, but not enough to let you do your job without me looking over your shoulder” always fell kinda flat to me.

Until last week in a coaching session with a client. We were talking about their challenges with training and accountability. A week earlier I had introduced the concept of High Standards and Deep Devotion (per Frances Frei and Anne Morriss) – setting high expectations for what they deliver while being deeply committed to their success in doing so. With that framing we stumbled on another way to look at the proverb.

Communicate expectations with clarity and consistency. Trust your people. Be genuinely curious about them and what they need to succeed. And yes, hold them accountable.

You are trusting the individual’s intentions, while holding them accountable for the results they deliver. So the tweak to the original is:

“Trust the Intent. Verify the Result.”