Elements of Trust .. you either have them or you don’t.

Elements of Trust

Ignore one element and no one will trust you                                  43

 

A lot of people agree that creating trust has its own power to produce at high levels. At the same time, few people realize that building trust has its own clearly defined elements and steps

 

 

The four trust elements:

 

None of these four are sufficient by themselves. Trust flows when you exhibit the combined effect of all four.

 

Reliability: 

This is the “I’ll do what I say I’ll do” factor.  Strange as it may be, many people are not reliable. They make promises they don’t keep.  I am not talking about just big promises. It is the every day, little

things you say that add up. Everything counts. The fact is plain. People can’t trust those who are unreliable.

 

Acceptance:

This one may sound easy. It is not. Simply stated, people need to be accepted. To feel accepted for who they are is a basic requirement of relating to anyone.  To increase acceptance of others you first need more awareness of how you tend to judge, may have unstated expectations for people to be different or maybe are often just too busy to notice the other person.  Any of these are clear signals that you don’t accept the other person. 

 

Openness:  

If I trust you, it is in part because I think you are on the level with me and that you tell me “the whole story”.  Not withholding information is the essence of being open. Many times we are not open because we think the other person already knows the information or doesn’t need to know it. Take the extra step to be open, on the level, and tell the whole story all the time.

 

Congruence:

This one speaks directly to the invisible signals you emit. It is the vibe people pick up automatically as you communicate. If you are saying and doing what you believe, you are acting congruently. If you are not saying what you believe, you come across as deceitful.

 

 

 

Why these elements are important:

 

 

* They are specific and easily recognizable in people. You either

  have them or you don’t.

 

* They can be easily learned and mastered.

 

* They have a huge impact on people and on self satisfaction.

 

* Their opposites can bring your success and possibilities to a quick

  end.

 

 

Take these four elements to your work. Work on all four. Become clearly focused on each. Watch yourself  for a week or two. You will see a difference in how you relate to others and how other relate to

you. 

I hope that you will use this.

Richard R