The Building Blocks of Trust
Mar 08, 2023
Consider this: you find yourself at odds with someone from work, but you can’t quite put your finger on the reason why. Or perhaps you’re struggling with a family dynamic. You love these people and want the best for them, but the trust just isn’t there.
Trust goes far beyond honesty or ethics. It’s about much more than knowing whether or not someone will lie to you. Trust is the confidence that someone will guard what is important to you, what you need, possess, or desire. Whatever your interests are, someone you trust will safeguard the interests you entrust to them.
You can often correct the problem if you know what to look for to evaluate trust and build it. But it takes an awareness of what to examine in a relationship to know what to address and try to correct or eliminate.
So what are the essential building blocks of trust?
- Understanding: You can trust someone when you feel your needs are understood, felt, and cared about.
- Motive and Intent: You can trust someone when you feel their motive is “for” you, not just for themselves.
- Ability: You can trust someone when you feel they have the ability or capacity to guard and deliver results for what you have entrusted to them.
- Character: You can trust someone who has the character or personal makeup needed for what you entrust them with.
- Track Record: You can trust someone who has a track record of performing in the ways you need them to perform.
The more you can identify and understand these traits, the better you can perceive them in others and live them out yourself.
