The Trust Factor book club questions

1. 1.

   Zak makes a biological case for trust. Does framing trust as a hormonal response change how you think about it, or does it feel like reductionism to you?

2. 2.

   His OXYTOCIN framework lists eight practices. Which one does your organization do well, and which one does it most consistently get wrong?

3. 3.

   Think of the highest-trust team environment you've ever been part of. What was the leader specifically doing — or not doing — that created it?

4. 4.

   Zak argues that excessive monitoring destroys trust. Where in your organization does monitoring cross the line from accountability to surveillance, and what does it cost?

5. 5.

   Recognition is the practice Zak says is most under-used. When did you last receive recognition that felt specific and genuine? When did you last give some?

6. 6.

   Autonomy in Zak's framework means real control over how the work is done. Is there a decision in your team that a direct report could and should be making themselves?

7. 7.

   Zak says leaders who show vulnerability build more trust. What's an example of a leader doing this well — and what made it feel genuine rather than performative?

8. 8.

   High-trust organizations have lower turnover. If you were trying to measure trust in your team right now, what would you look at?

9. 9.

   Is there a meaningful difference between an organization genuinely investing in employees' growth and one doing so instrumentally to reduce churn? Does the intention matter to the outcome?

10. 10.

    Zak's research is mostly Western and corporate. How much of his framework transfers to other cultural contexts, or to nonprofit, government, or academic settings?

11. 11.

    The book argues that care for the whole person, not just job performance, is a management practice, not just a personal virtue. Does that argument feel right to you?

12. 12.

    Where in your organization does performance anxiety — created by unclear expectations or heavy oversight — seem to be reducing the quality of people's work?

How to run the discussion

• Pick six to eight, not all of them. An hour of real discussion covers fewer questions than anyone expects, and racing the list is what makes a book club feel like homework.
• Open with what people noticed, not what they concluded. Asking for a verdict first hardens opinions before anyone has heard each other.
• Let the disagreement run. The questions below that split a room are the ones worth the time; the ones everyone answers the same way can be skipped.
• Ask the quiet person a specific question. A direct, narrow question is far easier to answer than an open invitation to contribute.