4 Tips On Trust Building

“The inability to open up to hope is what blocks trust, and blocked trust is the reason for blighted dreams.” 

― Elizabeth Gilbert

Trust building is a steady and deliberate process. There is not a quick path to establish trust with people.  Trust  is developed as a result of consistent and visible action. Building trust requires that we are mindful of our behaviors and that ALL of  our actions influence the "trust" quotient that characterizes our relationships. A few things to consider in creating an environment of trust in your organization and team: 

 IDENTIFICATION:

Identify the important behaviors and expectations in your relationships. Clarity regarding the ground rules to a relationship helps to ensure appropriate follow through occurs. If we do not specifically determine what we base the trust in our relationships upon we cannot truly determine the reason we may feel our trust has been violated. We  are left with an ambiguous sense of disatisfaction with the state of affairs.

BE CONSISTENT:

Follow through on the agreed upon expectations. Consistent follow through is like making a deposit into a bank account. The more we follow through the greater the trust balance is in our relationships. Failure to follow through on commitments is like making a withdrawal from our trust account. This balance will be in a constant state of flux.

 BE VISIBLE:   Being visible with adherence to our commitments can be as simple as a follow up email after completion of an agreed upon task. Subtle but deliberate follow up is a way reaffirming the expectations we have agreed upon as a group. The bottom line is that actions are a great teaching tool and communicate more powerfully than words.

BE ACCOUNTABLE: Part of being accountable means that we are open and own our shortcomings if we break trust with people. It means that we affirm our commitment, make amends and take steps to repair the damage done. Being accountable also means that we are honest with people when their actions have damaged trust with us. Alerting people regarding our feelings provides them a chance to course correct. It reinforces transparency, an important component of creating an environment of trust. 

There many models to nurturing trust within relationships. These are a few practices that I found to be helpful. What practices have worked for you? I would like to hear from you.