Building Trust with Trust Deposits

Trust is arguably one of the most important components of any human relationship. Whether it is between individuals in a personal relationship, or amongst people in a work or team environment, without trust, relationships cannot grow and develop. In fact, the complete opposite will be sure to happen – a breakdown of the relationship altogether. 

So, what are the main principles of building trust, and how can we facilitate it in our interpersonal and professional relationships? 

According to Stephen Covey, “trust is confidence born of two dimensions – character and competence.” Character describes your level of integrity, your motivation, and your intent. Competence refers to your skill set, your track record of past behavior, and your overall emotional intelligence. 

Covey also describes 13 traits that are demonstrated by the best leaders in the world: 

1. Talk straight 

2. Demonstrate respect. 

3. Create transparency. 

4. Right wrongs. 

5. Show loyalty. 

6. Deliver results. 

7. Get better. 

8. Confront reality. 

9. Clarify expectation. 

10. Practice accountability. 

11. Listen first. 

12. Keep commitments. 

13. Extend trust. 

Essentially, when these traits are developed, nurtured, and consistently put into practice amongst leaders, they are making “trust deposits” into a relationship bank account. Leaders must ascribe to the theory that they are always working to learn, improve, and build trust amongst their peers, colleagues, and employees. 

Another interesting point that Covey talks about is self-trust. We will have a hard time building trust with other people if we don’t first have confidence in our own abilities to show up, to be consistent, and to be honest with our own shortcomings and areas we’re working to improve. 

Join us at Leading from Humanity: Together with healthcare professionals and patients, we will explore the concept of Relationship-Centred Care? and its power to change the status quo in healthcare. I invite you to sign up quickly, here.