Trust is a value that’s earned over time through evidence and experience. It takes time to get to know someone. Can you build trust it in a hurry? Probably not. You can do all the right things to speed it up but it still takes time. We move at our own pace when it comes to trusting someone and it’s influenced by the context of the relationship. Let the client set the pace, don’t push the process. We build trust by connecting not by directing. 

The level of trust you have in someone can easily change. Based on what we experience from day to day. We trust one another depending on what happens in the relationship and how you conduct yourself. It’s strengthened and deepened when you do the right things.

If it’s lost it’s tough to rebuild. It takes commitment, effort, and time to earn it back. Give them the time they need. In some cases, it can’t be rebuilt.

Low trust: Some people have low trust. We may never know why. Keep in mind the following:

• We generally don’t trust people who are low trust—always on guard
• Even if you do all the right things and care about them they may not trust you
• Don’t take it personal
• Don’t pressure them to trust you, analyze them, or try to change them
• Accept who they are and take the high road
• Verify everything that’s consequential
• Could become your best customer

When we trust another person, we make ourselves vulnerable, which is a risk. If a colleague agrees to help with a project, you trust that they will follow through. Successful organizations, teams of coworkers, and society at large all need trust, to a degree, to be successful. We can’t play every role on a team and expect to show up the next day with the same level of energy and we can’t control every aspect of a project or environment just because we aren’t willing to trust.

The dynamics of trust may be complex but typically, trustworthy people have good intentions, they follow through on their word, they are good listeners, and they are often clear about their decisions, actions, and motivations.

In the following blog, we will talk about why trust is especially crucial in ambiguous times.