Trust in Business: Who Gets to Enter Your “House”?

By Angela Harrison, MBA, MLS

I once heard a metaphor about relationships that has stayed with me ever since:

Friendship is like a house.

Some people stay out in the driveway, polite, distant, familiar but not fully trusted. Others make it to the front porch, where you share light conversation and maybe a glass of iced tea. A smaller group is invited into the living room or around the kitchen table, trusted enough to see a little more of your life. And then, there are the rare few who are “whole-house people,” the ones who’ve earned the right to see the real you, the good and the not-so-glamorous.

And here’s the thing most people don’t consider:

Businesses fall into these categories too.

Some organizations are the ones we welcome all the way inside.They operate with integrity. They choose what’s right because it is right. Their governance is strong, their leaders are ethical, and their culture is built on trust, not shortcuts, excuses, or loopholes.

These are the “whole-house” companies—the ones customers and clients feel safe relying on.

And then… there are the companies you wouldn’t even want knowing your address.

We’ve all interacted with businesses we keep in the driveway, window barely cracked, because something feels off:

• Questionable ethics

• Weak compliance culture

• Inconsistent communication

• A pattern of cutting corners

• Leadership decisions that prioritize profit over people

When trust feels fragile or forced, we instinctively limit access.

Which leads to the real question:

What kind of business are you?

Are you the organization clients and partners feel safe “inviting inside,” trusting fully with their needs, data, or well-being? Or are you the one they keep at arm’s length because something in your behavior says, “Don’t get too close”?

Trust isn’t automatic. It isn’t guaranteed. And it definitely isn’t a branding statement.

Trust is earned—through transparency, ethics, consistency, and the courage to do the right thing even when it's not the easy thing.

In business, just like in life, access is a privilege. And the level of trust you’re granted reflects the level of integrity you consistently demonstrate.

So… who gets to enter your house? And more importantly, whose house do you earn the right to enter?