Trust is a very important foundation for building strong relationships. In fact, trust comes first before anything else, because if it is no trust, problems are bound to occur. While you have the option of ordering people around in order to get them to do what you want, you may get compliance, but you will not get commitment or trust.

Enron is a perfect example of what happens when you run a company based on profits rather than trust. When your operation is run based purely on profits, you will do anything to obtain those profits, even if it means breaking the trust of others. While it may seem that you benefit on the front end, you will run into serious problems down the road.

When you are working with someone for the first time, it will be necessary for you to gain their trust. The best way to gain trust is to be a trustworthy person, and do what you say you are going to do. There is a direct correlation between trust and reliability.

Reliable people tend to be trustworthy, and trustworthy people tend to be reliable. Trust is the center of the business universe. When a patient goes to a doctor for surgery, they trust that the doctor will not make any mistakes, and their lives are literally in the doctor’s hands. When you fly in a plane, you are not only entrusting your life to the pilot, but those who designed the plane.

While trust is hard to build, it is very easy to lose, and once you lose someone’s trust, it is very difficult to get it back. Therefore, it is better to build a reputation of a trust. Overall, trust is a very simple concept. You will simply build on your individual confidence, and you will get rid of fear. This process is very achievable, because once you understand the emotions that are connected with trust, you can utilize them with four steps. These steps involve defining the concept of trust, understanding the blind spots that you have, communicating with intention, and producing results.

Defining Trust

Trust can be broken down into two categories, a feeling portion which shows trust, and a performance record that shows a history of trust. The active feeling of trust often involves confidence, which means that one must have reliability and leadership.

When you have a feeling of trust which is passive, this means that there is an absence of both suspicion and worry. Productive relationships are always based on trust, but these relationships are often not recognized, and may sometimes be taken for granted. The track record for trust is very important, because it shows a confirmation of trust that is well placed.

If trust is defined primarily as events that have occurred in the past, you may involve yourself in a large amount of testing or a unforgiveness that is stubborn. It is much better to simply correct mistakes or lapses in communication to rebuild trust.

As we move forward with our careers, we have a tendency to gather a group of world views, opinions, and beliefs. While some of these are productive, others are not. The ones which are unproductive tend to be the blind spots we have. All our beliefs, to a more or lesser degree, are formed by both facts as well as assumptions. The blind spots will often be a result of loss and fear.

There are times in which we will extend trust, and will contribute extra effort to a specific cause. However, something happens, something which leaves us with the feeling of betrayal. We may feel burned, and the way that many people react to it is with shock, anger, or loss.

We cope with it mentally by saying that we will never let this happen again, and it is a decision which effects trust. While these decisions are understandable, they are often too much, and end up limiting us in the long run. One thing that each of us has in common is that we have these trust issues in one area or another.

Using Communication to Facilitate Trust

To build relationships which are based on trust, there is one thing that we all need, and this is communication. Communication itself can be further broken down into three categories, and these categories are mechanics, intention, and preparation.

Building trust involves more than simply establishing who is right and wrong. Instead the differences involve how these parties actually communicate. The goal to communicating effectively is to create win/win strategies if the starting point does not particularly involve trust. Your goal is to obtain an outcome which is accountable.

With preparation, it is often helpful to make a list of the things you find frustrating, and come up with potential outcomes which could be a win/win situation for you and the other party. After this, look at the things that you have attempted to contribute, and find out if you feel forced or excluded.