Excolo Reflection Tool
The Trust Test
Use this assessment to think through whether trust is currently supportable in a specific situation. The tool weighs risk, impact, repair cost, relevant past experience, and how well you know the person or context.
Trust Calculator
What is the probability a negative event will occur within a certain time frame? 1 means no chance at all. 5 means it feels very likely.
If the negative event occurs, how much will it affect you, the relationship, the work, or the situation? 1 means minimal impact. 5 means major impact.
How much would it cost to address, absorb, or repair the impact afterward? This can include time, money, energy, credibility, capacity, or relational strain.
How much relevant evidence do you have that the opposite of your concern has happened?
How to answer
Recall times when this person or situation was reliable, safe, consistent, or followed through—the opposite of what you are worried might happen.
Consider both frequency and impact. Repeated examples or one especially meaningful example may carry more weight.
How much relevant evidence do you have that your concern has actually happened?
How to answer
Recall times when the feared outcome occurred—for example, when this person or situation was unreliable, unsafe, inconsistent, or failed to follow through.
Consider both frequency and impact. A repeated pattern or one highly consequential event may carry more weight.
How well and deeply do you know this person or situation? 1 means very little knowledge. 5 means extensive knowledge over time.
How to interpret the result
The result is a reflection tool, not a final verdict. Change one variable at a time to see what would need to shift for the situation to become more supportable.
- Lower risk may come from clearer expectations, smaller asks, better timing, or more structure.
- Lower impact may come from limiting what is at stake.
- More evidence against the concern may come from repeated, observable follow-through.
When the answer feels too broad
Refine the question before relying on the result. A broad question can produce an accurate but unhelpful answer.
- Replace “Can I trust them?” with “Can I trust them with this specific responsibility?”
- Replace “Will they let me down?” with “What level of access, responsibility, or vulnerability is appropriate right now?”
- Replace “Is this safe?” with “What would make this safer, clearer, or more bounded?”