The Six Month Truce

Trust and reliability are two different things. "I trust this person" is about their intentions. "We can still work reliably together" is about whether expectations, decisions, updates, and commitments are clear enough to function. You do not need trust to come back before you can make the work more predictable. Inside: separate the two questions; draft a working agreement (three priorities, decision rights, updates, 30 day, 90 day, and six month reviews); keep a simple record of work, not a dossier; watch the stabilizing and deteriorating signals; choose your integrity rules; and the 30 Day Reset Conversation. The goal of a truce is not to keep you somewhere forever. It is to give you enough stability to make the next decision deliberately.