Trust but Verify: A Critical Business Mantra

This post originally appeared at petechristianbooks.com

Suzanne Massie, an American writer, met with President Ronald Reagan many times. She taught him the Russian proverb, Trust, but verify (The Reagan Years” by Suzanne Massie).

She advised him that “The Russians like to talk in proverbs. It would be nice of you to know a few”.

The proverb was adopted as a signature phrase by Reagan. He used it when discussing U.S. relations with the Soviet Union.

Reagan used the phrase to emphasize the verification procedures that would enable both sides to monitor compliance with the proposed INF Treaty. The Treaty banned all of the two nations’ land-based ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and missile launchers with ranges of 310 to 3,429 miles. At the signing of it on December 8, 1987 his counterpart Mikhail Gorbachev said “You repeat that at every meeting.”

Reagan answered, “I like it”.

Since the time that Reagan first used it, the phrase has become commonly used. It deals with and has implications in many things. And it made an impression on me both in business and in life.

In my early career and before I heard this saying, I was very naïve and trusting of everybody.

I embodied the thought that, “Ignorance is bliss”. I had no reason not to trust people. Up until that time people had been very direct with me. I knew who liked me and who didn’t and I dealt…