Fixing the showers: the quiet work of rebuilding trust

Martin Ferguson is a strategic communications and events consultant. He was vice president of global communications, public affairs and events for American Express Global Business Travel for nearly a decade

In a world saturated with corporate slogans and polished leadership speeches, it’s easy to believe that success comes from saying the right things louder, faster and more frequently than everyone else. Yet real trust – the kind that builds strong teams, loyal customers and lasting reputations – is forged differently. It’s created through small, often unnoticed actions that quietly demonstrate who you are and what you stand for.

That idea was reinforced for me recently through two experiences that, on the surface, seemed very different.

First, a conversation with Matthew Freud, founder of London-headquartered Freud Communications, a long-time figure at the intersection of media, business and politics – and the great-grandson of Sigmund Freud. Once married to Elisabeth Murdoch, Rupert Murdoch’s daughter, Freud has spent what he describes as “forty years hiding,” having given only five or six interviews in his life. He recently broke cover to speak with Jon Sopel and Emily Maitlis on The News Agents podcast.

In that rare interview, Freud reflected on the collapse of public trust in institutions, placing much of the blame on the media for fueling cynicism and disengagement. People, he argued, have not stopped caring out of apathy, but because they have been taught not to believe what they are told.

Second, the ITM Conference, where I co-delivered a session about how organisations communicate around managed travel – and how small, trust-building actions in communication are the critical first steps toward earning the credibility needed to drive longer-term, meaningful change.

Both experiences reinforced the same idea: people don’t disengage because they are cynical by nature. They disengage because promises are made but not kept, because leaders talk but don’t act, because basic signals of care and authenticity are missing. And if we want to rebuild trust – whether in politics, business or within organisations – we have to start small.

At the ITM conference, we used a simple analogy drawn from the TV show Ted Lasso. In one early episode, Ted doesn’t begin his leadership journey with a rousing speech. He starts by fixing the showers. The broken showers had become a symbol of how little the players were valued. Ted understood that before he could ask for trust or effort, he had to show – through a small, meaningful act – that he respected them first.

It was a theme that resonated strongly with the ITM audience. Many organisations pour energy into rebrands, campaigns and change programmes – yet overlook the small, daily moments that actually define experience. Fixing the showers, in business terms, means focusing first on the basics: clear communication, consistent behaviour, follow-through on small promises. Not performative gestures, but tangible, human ones.

In the world of managed business travel, this principle is playing out every day. Companies that invest in clear travel communication, intuitive tools, flexible policies and genuine traveller care are proving – not just promising – that they value their people.

Those that treat business travel purely as a cost centre, ignoring traveller experience or wellbeing, are quietly eroding the trust and engagement they depend on. In an industry built on human connection, the small signals matter more than ever.

The same is true across the broader travel ecosystem. Travel management companies, suppliers and technology partners who prioritise clarity, service and reliability are not just delivering transactions – they are helping organisations earn the trust that underpins effective, sustainable travel programmes.

Leadership today is not about finding the perfect words. It’s about proving them. People aren’t demanding perfection – they’re asking for honesty. They’re looking for signs, however small, that leaders genuinely care enough to fix what’s broken.

And at the heart of it all is trust. Trust isn’t a nice-to-have – it’s the foundation on which everything else is built. Small actions, taken consistently, create belief. Belief leads to credibility. And credibility is what ultimately gives leaders and organisations the permission to drive meaningful, lasting change.

The companies that thrive in this next era won’t be the ones with the slickest slogans. They’ll be the ones who start by fixing the showers – quietly repairing the fractures that weaken confidence long before any crisis exposes them.

Reflecting on the conversations at ITM, it’s clear that meaningful change doesn’t begin with a mission statement. It begins with earning belief – one action, one small step at a time – and building on that foundation with care, consistency and integrity.

Before you polish the next speech or launch the next initiative, ask yourself: What are the “showers” in your organisation? What’s broken, overlooked or quietly draining the confidence you depend on? Find them. Fix them. Then – and only then – worry about what you want to say.

Because when you fix the showers, you’re not just repairing plumbing. You’re earning something far more powerful: belief, credibility and the right to lead.