DS Articles

Without trust everyday life is not possible. You take actions that are based on trust throughout your day. You trust that all of the critical components of your car are safe. The elevators you ride, the bridges you drive over, and the food that you eat, you trust to be safe. Relationships aren’t any different. Without trust any relationship worth having can’t exist. Below are nine suggestions for building up trust in your relationship:

1.) Make honesty a habit with people. If you don’t agree with an idea and your opinion is asked , then say so. Of course, express your disagreement constructively by stating your reasons. By doing so, you don’t come across as argumentative or insulting and you offer further food for thought.

2.) When you make a mistake, quickly own up to it and apologize. Refusing to take responsibility for hurting the other person is a quick recipe for destroying trust. The ability to say “I’m sorry” is a prerequisite tool for keeping a relationship intact.

3.) Be calm under pressure. This quality is the hallmark of a successful leader in business. It’s doubly true for success in relationships. Stability builds trust, so be the anchor in the relationship.

4.) Be reliable and trustworthy in the small things. Before your partner is going to trust you with the big things they’ll need to be able to trust you in the little things. So show up on time and keep those small promises. Be as good as your word.

5.) You need to be a transparent person to build trust. This means not hiding things or keeping secrets from your partner. It’s easy to see if you’re hiding something. Most people can tell. This is especially the case with your partner because she knows you like no one else. There is something unsavory about the secretive person that generates distrust.

6.) When you make a promise be sure to follow through. This applies to anything from showing up for lunch to helping out with a crisis. If you can’t deliver then don’t make the promise. Each missed promise no matter how small creates some hurt feelings. These hurt feelings build up and erode your partner’s trust in you.

7.) If someone tells you something in confidence, don’t share it with your partner. Doing so tells your partner that you can’t be trusted to confide in. If you readily betray the confidence of your friends, she will assume that you will do the same with her.

Developing trust can be hard to do. But the long term benefits of a strong relationship makes it all worthwhile.