The more important the relationship, the more important becomes the level of trust. You can determine your trust level base on historical information.  An example of this would be asking yourself, “Have I invested in this relationship and received a positive or negative return?”  And, “if I invest emotional energy in someone, is my investment paying off?”

How does trust develop?

• Start with believing in people’s goodness.  This gives us a willingness to take risks and believe that people are not all bad.
• Have faith in life’s fairness.  You will get back what you give.  What goes around comes around.  Treat others as you would like to be treated.
• Reduce your negative self-talk.  These are negative paradigms that we carry in our heads that are self defeating and self sabotaging.
• Be open to others.  Always remember, having good boundaries is an essential step in trust building.  Boundaries are set parameters based on the strengths and weaknesses of each person.
• Don’t be controlled by fear.  Fear restricts us and stops any trusting action.  Feel the fear and do it (communicate) anyway.
• Practice deep and effective listening.  Listen to what is being communicated.  Be an active participant in the communication process by checking out what you think the other is saying and asking them what they hear you saying.  The more I communicate with you, the more you start to trust me and the more we trust each other, the more we will communicate.

With these steps a sense of commitment evolves and a healthier working or loving relationship can be established.  Then a synergy is created that ensures the best from all connections.

“Unlike formal contracts or rigid hierarchies, trust frees partners to respond together to the unexpected, which is essential for mutual creativity.  Trust also fosters enthusiasm, ensuring the best performance from everyone”          

- “TRUSTED PARTNERS”  Jordan  D. Lewis  1999

 

Evelyn Webb and Ed Mitchell