The foundation of any relationship, whether it be with a business associate, spouse, parent, client or, friend, is trust. 

Trust is not something that can be built with quick fix techniques.  Rather, it is something that is cultivated through consistent habits in your interactions. 

Here are the 5 🗝 keys which could unlock the doors of trust in your relationships;

1. Be Open and Transparent

Never try to hide things from others.  Never operate with hidden agendas.  You might think that you could keep and hide things from others or pull a fast one, but most people have good intuition in guessing that you are trying to hide something.  They will have an uneasy feeling around you; a feeling of discomfort.  Operating with hidden agendas also reduces your ability to Trust others, since you behave this way, you will presume that others also operate as you do.

2. Be Consistent

Always be consistent in your behavior.  Do not behave to suit your convenience.  People are very observant and sensitive and when they see you behave in an inconsistent manner, it immediately impacts your trustworthiness.  Always behave in a principle-centered manner.

3. Stick to your commitment

Keep all promises.  Make your word stronger than any written agreement.  Every act of yours goes to show how committed you are in any relationship.  Make promises sparingly and do not ever make a mockery of the word ‘promise’ cause people really attach a lot of weight to this one aspect in a relationship.

4. Always treat people with respect

Ever since we were kids, we were taught to be respectful.  Allow people to be who they are; respect their rights; never try to force yourself on them; do not be petty; do not gossip about people when they are not around; never make any statements about people in their absence. Never undermine others, by showing your superiority – remember each person is unique and has something which he are she brings into a relationship.  When people know that you treat them with dignity and respect, trust will flourish in your relationship with them.

5. Walk-the-talk

Do on to others what you expect them to do on to you.  Don’t just end up being a preacher, show people that you act in a manner in which you expect them to.  People just hate those, who do not follow what they preach.  This is the biggest trust breaker.

There could be many more!  Would you like to add to this list?

Share yours using the comments.