Trust is a key aspect of success in any business. It is what gives me a warm feeling about where I work and the people I work with.
Trusting people think positively of others – this is their default setting. They think logically and leave their emotions to one side. In short, they are great people to be around. They make you feel at ease with being yourself.
Distrusting people, on the other hand, puts you on the defensive – you have to prove something to them. You see them as being suspicious – maybe they have an issue that they are hiding? Negative emotional feelings breed much of the same. It feels distinctly uncomfortable being with such people.
The negative vibes from these people are self-perpetuating. They dig their own holes and then fall straight into them. Sometimes I just want to shake them up a little and show them why trust is so important for a fulfilling life:
Trusting others produces a subconscious desire in them to trust you back. Having not yet had the opportunity to earn your trust, most people will try to live up to it, and most people will rise to the occasion.
Trusting helps others to feel good about themselves.Everyone wants to be liked, and if someone feels that you approve of them, they will respond in a positive way. If you are seen as a source of approval, then people will be drawn to you without even understanding why. Making people feel good about themselves will help them to feel good about you. No brainer.
It is the foundation/cement of any relationship. Complete trust is something that must be earned over time, and by being trusting, you give people the maximum opportunity to start trusting you. There is a reason that you “build” a relationship… Common experiences are the bricks, but trust is the mortar. When trust crumbles, so does the relationship, but it can always be built afresh.
It fosters a desire for mutual understanding. Everyone makes mistakes, so we must understand when others do the same. There is much more going on in the world outside of our own lives, and if you attempt to understand the circumstances of others, they will do the same for you. Forgiveness is also so much easier when you objectively understand what has happened and why.
In a world where some people are constantly looking to take advantage, some may say that trusting and attempting to be trustworthy can be unwise. My view would be that until they give you solid grounds not to trust them, there is no reason to think like this. The attitude that you project will be reflected back to you. Giving people the benefit of the doubt is one of life’s biggest gifts.
I work with lots of different people "every day". I feel content that I can trust the vast majority implicitly.