Over the last few years, my team and I at Dearin & Associates have had the privilege of working with clients and partners across almost every continent. The scope of our work has been wide and varied: different markets, different industries, different business models. And as I’ve reflected on the projects we’ve delivered, one truth has become impossible to ignore:
Working with partners who share your values dramatically accelerates trust, collaboration and results.
Some projects felt effortless, not because the work itself was simple, but because the relationship was. Others required more grit, more communication and more emotional energy than they should have. The difference? Values alignment.
This isn’t just intuition. It is exactly what Stephen Covey describes in The Speed of Trust:
“Trust is the one thing that changes everything.”
When values align, trust is easier to build and renew. And when trust is present, everything moves faster.
Let me show you what I mean.
The Speed of Trust, in Real Life
At its core, trust is confidence in someone’s integrity, motives and capability. When trust is high, communication flows, decisions are simpler and collaboration feels safe, even in challenging moments. When trust is low, everything slows down. Suspicion creeps in. Rework increases. Stress rises. Progress stalls.
Three recent partner experiences illustrate this clearly.
Case Study 1: Shared Values, Shared Success
One of our longstanding global partners is a large multinational organisation whose key leaders share our values. Over the years, we have collaborated on numerous initiatives, and the alignment has always been evident.
When technical challenges arose in one of their service lines, communication intensified through phone calls and email, but the trust never wavered. We knew their intentions were good. They knew ours were too.
As a result:
- Challenges were resolved quickly
- Relationships strengthened rather than frayed
- The work continued to deliver value on all sides
This is the power of aligned values. Even under pressure, the partnership holds.
Case Study 2: Extending Trust and Earning It
In another instance, we worked with a large offshore organisation we had never partnered with before. Neither of us knew whether the other shared our values, but we chose to extend trust and move forward.
Were there challenges? Yes, particularly around timelines and expectations. But because both teams kept communication open and constructive, we navigated the bumps and delivered strong outcomes.
By the end, we had established enough trust and shared understanding to say, “Yes, we can work together again.”
Case Study 3: When Values Do Not Align
And then there are the relationships that teach us what we do not want.
An offshore organisation approached us to collaborate on a major project. There were promising signs early on, so again, we extended trust.
But quickly, cracks emerged:
- Communication was inconsistent
- Expectations about delivery and compensation did not align
- Promises were made but not honoured
- Signals suggested that excellence, integrity and respect were not shared values
As trust eroded, everything slowed down. Stress increased. Momentum evaporated. The relationship became transactional and strained, rather than collaborative and forward-looking.
Ultimately, it became clear that this was not a partnership built to last.
Values Are the Foundation of Speed, Safety and Success
Across these experiences, the smooth, the workable and the uncomfortable, one factor determined the quality of the relationship and the pace of the work:
How closely our partners’ values aligned with ours.
At Dearin & Associates, we are guided by four core values that anchor how we operate internally and externally:
Integrity
We do what we say we are going to do, transparently, ethically and honestly.Excellence
We strive for high standards, continuous improvement and world class outcomes.Respect
We honour people, perspectives and cultures, listening deeply and communicating openly.Fun
We choose to enjoy the work, the journey and the people we work with.These values shape our decisions, our culture, our client experience and our impact in the world. They are not negotiable.
When partners share them, everything accelerates: trust, momentum, outcomes. When they do not, everything slows: communication, clarity, progress.
So What Have I Learned?
Simply this:
I only want to work with people and organisations that share our firm’s values.
When values align, collaboration becomes a force multiplier. When they do not, no commercial opportunity is worth the cost.
As leaders, we often underestimate the strategic advantage of choosing partners wisely. But values alignment is not soft. It is not a nice to have. It is a business accelerator. It is a risk mitigator. It is a cultural safeguard. And it is the foundation for creating work that is not only commercially successful but deeply satisfying.
If you are building partnerships, exploring international markets or scaling your organisation, make values alignment a non negotiable. It will change the quality of your outcomes and the experience of achieving them.
And it will change the speed of trust.
