Perhaps the most abused word in management is trust. "I trust you to get this done" is simply an interesting way to ask someone to get some work done. "I don't trust our competitors" is pretty normal. But managers fail when they use trust to distinguish, assess, and evaluate staff. The notion of "I trust you, but I don't trust you" might make the manager feel like they have drawn the line between good and bad.
But trust is an abstract noun. Any abstract noun's definition is so vague, that it is essentially meaningless. Vague language is a crutch. Bad managers cling to such vague language in performance appraisals and team assessments. An abstract statement such as "I trust you" really means "I don't have anything constructive to say about you." Saying "I don't trust you" simply means "I don't want to tell you what I really don't like about you."
Maybe the managers who abuse the word trust should be forced to use the word in only one context: "I trust you had a good lunch."
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