{"id":95746,"date":"2023-03-14T15:02:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-14T19:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=95746"},"modified":"2023-03-16T15:47:19","modified_gmt":"2023-03-16T19:47:19","slug":"importance-of-trust-in-relationships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/importance-of-trust-in-relationships\/","title":{"rendered":"The Importance of Trust in Relationships: Personal & Professional"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What\u2019s the importance of trust<\/a> in relationships? How does trust encourage honesty and motivation?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your relationships at work<\/a> or in your personal life need a little improvement, you likely need to build some trust. Trust goes a long way for someone, and it\u2019s the key to keeping a relationship standing when something wants to tear it down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below we\u2019ll explore why trust is important in relationships, both in a professional and personal sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What Is Trust? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before getting into the importance of trust in relationships, we need to understand what trust is. According to Stephen Covey\u2019s The Speed of Trust<\/em><\/a>, trust comes from credibility, which has four components: principles, motives, skills, and track record<\/strong>. He calls these the \u201cfour cores of credibility.\u201d We\u2019ll refer to them as the building blocks of trust<\/em>. To merit trust in any situation, you must display all four building blocks of trust. <\/strong>Any missing or questionable building block can erode people\u2019s trust in you and your trust in yourself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Covey, the first two building blocks of trust, your principles and motives, are a function of your nature<\/strong>. Your principles shape how you interpret and respond to your circumstances. For instance, if you hold to the principle of charity, you\u2019ll be a respectful listener even when you find another person\u2019s argument distasteful or misinformed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your principles also inform your motives which, in turn, drive your actions<\/strong>. To continue the example, your commitment to the principle of charity means you are genuinely motivated to understand other people\u2019s perspectives, which is why you choose to actively listen instead of interrupting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second two building blocks of trust, skills and track record, are a function of your abilities, which are situational<\/strong>. <\/strong>For people to trust you, Covey argues, you need to have the appropriate skills for a given situation. <\/strong>For example, your parents can have complete trust in your principles and motives, but unless you\u2019re a builder, they probably won\u2019t trust you to build them a house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your track record refers to your history of getting things done. It doesn\u2019t matter how qualified you are on paper or how much people trust your nature; if you don\u2019t produce results, you can\u2019t expect people to trust you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These building blocks of trust are crucial in both a professional and personal setting. Let\u2019s explore the importance of trust in relationships in both of these settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Professional Relationships Need Trust<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Companies thrive thanks to the help of professional relationships. Leaders need to have trust in their employees and vice versa, and employees need to have trust in each other. Here\u2019s why trust is important in relationships at work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trust Is the Foundation of Culture<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Start With Why<\/em><\/a> by Simon Sinek<\/a> claims that trust in relationships is important because it\u2019s the foundational building block of culture. Culture emerges when a group of people who believe and value the same things unites around those shared ideals. <\/strong> When we are around people who think like us, we start to trust them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On an individual level, we form communities with people who share similar beliefs, values, and ideals. Consequently, companies with strong values tend to attract like-minded people and create a sense of belonging<\/a>. That\u2019s why these companies tend to have strong cultures and high levels of trust, both internally and externally.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In turn, being in a community of people who are there for the same reasons builds trust.<\/strong> We believe that someone who shares our beliefs is also more likely to have our back and not take advantage of us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n