How Do You Maintain Trust?

You may be getting along with some of your colleagues, however, you may be struggling with a few of your new relationships.

How do you maintain the trust that you have established?

Establishing and maintaining trust requires us to be trusting and trustworthy.  Trust is established through a series of trusting and trustworthy actions.

If a person takes the risk of being open with sharing what they think and how they feel, they will receive either confirming or disconfirming responses, either acceptance or rejection.

The key to maintaining trust is based upon your willingness to respond to another person’s risk taking in a way that insures that the other person will experience beneficial consequences.  This is accomplished by being accepting, supportive, cooperative, and empathetic.

Expressing acceptance is responding to that person with high regard and mutual respect.

Expressing supportiveness is being encouraging and emotionally supportive concerning their perspective and observations, and their abilities and capabilities.

Expressing cooperative intentions involves continued discussions about working together and achieving mutual goals.

Expressing empathy creates warmth and understanding which increases trust in the relationship, even when there are unresolved conflicts.  Trust is a two way street, we need to be trusting and trustworthy.

Creating a supportive communication climate is critical in establishing trust.  Creating an environment where people feel little risk in honest interactions is possible.  Establish trust by being open and honest.  Maintain trust by being accepting, supportive, and expressing cooperative intentions.  Consistently demonstrate that you are willing to talk it out and work it out.

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