The Unwritten Rules
All sections

Module 4

Time, Rules, and Trust

Clocks and schedules, rules and exceptions, and when, and why, people trust each other.

What does “nine o’clock” mean? Is a rule a rule for everyone, or are there exceptions for friends and family? And before you do business with someone, do you need to see their numbers, or share a meal?

These questions sound simple, but cultures answer them very differently. The answers shape everyday life: when meetings start, how neighbors solve problems, how paperwork gets done, and how deals are made.

In this module, you’ll explore:

  • “clock time” and “people time,” and why neither one is lazy or rigid
  • how many rules a society has, how strictly it follows them, and how people cope with the unknown
  • whether fairness means the same rules for everyone, or loyalty to the people you know
  • two kinds of trust: the kind you earn by delivering, and the kind you build over lunch

If you’re short on time, Lesson 4.1 is the one not to skip.

4.1 Clock Time and People TimeFree

A meeting that starts when the people arrive, a clock that counts from dawn, and what “on time” really means.

11m
4.2 Rules, Plans, and the UnknownIncluded with purchase

A note on the recycling bin, a question nobody can answer, and tight and loose cultures.

11m
4.3 Rules for Everyone, or Exceptions for Friends?Included with purchase

A shipment stuck at the port, a cousin who “knows someone,” and two different ideas of fairness.

12m
4.4 Trust: Business First or Lunch First?Included with purchase

Why some people trust you because you deliver, and others need to know you as a person first.

11m
Scenario Challenge 4: Time and TrustIncluded with purchase

Nine o’clock in Buenos Aires, a laundry schedule, lunch in Amman and a favor for a friend.

11m

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