The simple secret to building trust

I recently found myself reflecting on the people in my life whom I trust. How did we develop this trust? How long did it take? What specific actions or things did we say or do to build this trust? Had the trust ever been broken and if so, how did we repair it? As I was thinking through these questions, it suddenly occurred to me that all the people whom I trust have one thing in common: they do what they say and say what they will do.

The reality is that when building trust, actions are the only thing that matter, and I believe staying true to commitments is one of the simplest ways to build and maintain trust in relationships.

And it’s not that hard; it’s about prioritizing your commitments and being realistic. Of course, things come up and if for some reason you can’t meet a commitment, you follow-up and explain why before you are asked about it.

Now let me be clear, this doesn’t mean that you don’t have boundaries or say yes to everything. Rather, it just means that you say “no” in a compassionate way and work together to figure out an alternative.

I find it fascinating that so many leaders and team members do this well with customers and clients, but fail to do this internally with peers, leaders, and their own teams. But getting yourself to follow this simple rule will pay huge dividends in the long-term.

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