How do you know when you are starting to lose trust at work? Sometimes the signs are obvious. Sometimes they look like fewer assignments, meaningless work, weak feedback, or people simply avoiding you. In this episode, Steve and Jake break down the warning signs that an engineer may be underperforming and, more importantly, how to turn it around. Not theory, practical, tactical advice for rebuilding trust, earning better work, and proving through execution that you deserve more responsibility.

Key Topics Covered:
• Why getting fewer meaningful assignments can be a warning sign
• What it means when coworkers and managers stop engaging with you
• Why meaningless work may signal a loss of confidence in your performance
• The danger of receiving feedback and doing nothing with it
• How defensiveness makes people stop giving you honest feedback
• Why better feedback has to be earned over time
• How small assignments can become opportunities to rebuild trust
• Why excellence matters even when the work feels beneath you
• How helping overloaded teammates can create your own opportunities
• Why technical skill alone will not make people want to work with you

Actionable Steps:
• Pay attention if meaningful work starts disappearing
• Ask directly for feedback instead of assuming everything is fine
• Receive criticism without immediately explaining or defending yourself
• Ask for specific examples when feedback is unclear
• Take visible action on the feedback you receive
• Follow up later and ask whether your changes are being noticed
• Treat small assignments like they matter, because your execution does
• Look for ways to take work off the plates of overloaded teammates
• Deliver work at a level that makes your effort undeniable
• Rebuild trust through repeated execution, not promises

Who This Episode Is For:
• Early-career engineers unsure whether they are performing well
• Engineers who feel overlooked or underutilized
• ICs who are frustrated by low-value assignments
• Engineers who struggle with defensiveness or feedback
• Anyone who needs to rebuild trust with a manager or team

Why It Matters:
Your career expands when people trust you with more. When that trust starts disappearing, so do meaningful assignments, visibility, responsibility, and growth. You do not rebuild it by demanding better opportunities. You rebuild it by taking ownership, acting on feedback, and demonstrating excellence with whatever is already in front of you.

Where to Listen:
• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• Google Podcasts
• Or wherever you get your podcasts

Share:
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