It is the nature of human beings to be social; this means we all require certain levels of interactions and interdependencies on one another. One of the key ways to establish and promote our social behavioural nature is through ‘relationships’.
Human relationships are very diverse and can be described in various ways. Most times, people think of relationships using some of these terms: personal, professional, close (cordial), distant, friendship, family, acquaintance, customer, and many others. Regardless of the relationship that one is focused on, one key ingredient that is needed to build an effective relationship is TRUST.
Trust is described as the belief in the reliability, truth, or ability of someone or something. As abstract as trust is, it can cause people to take actions that makes or mars a relationship. Trust is not built overnight; it is one virtue that takes time.
There is nothing like trust on first sight. Even though it takes a long time to develop and build, it is exceptionally delicate that a single statement or action can destroy years of trust. Trust is bilateral, be ready to play your part.
All levels and forms of human relationships need trust. No one wants to be shut out of discussions because he/she is not trusted to be in the room. I have learnt to compartmentalise my friendships with people based on the level of trust that exists between us. You don’t want to invest in people that cannot be trusted, neither do you want to do business with such persons.
"Trust is a key ingredient for successful relationships."
When trust exists in a relationship, you will enjoy the following benefits in your relationships. Here are 10 reasons why you need to build TRUST in your relationships!
1. It is much easier to rely on each other
When there is trust in a relationship, it is much easier to rely or depend on each other. You will not be in doubt of your partner’s or friend’s promises. You can take each other’s word to the bank. You would rather depend on a friend that does what he/she says no matter how little than the one that promises everything and never does any.
The bedrock of ensuring reliability in your relationship is by building trust. See our follow up post on ‘how to build trust in your relationships’.
2. There will be unfeigned commitment
Often, when there is a break-up in a relationship, you will hear statements such as: ‘he/she was not committed’ or ‘my partner was less committed’. Commitment is when one is dedicated to a person, a cause or an activity.
Other words that convey commitment are devotion, dedication, faithfulness, loyalty, and allegiance. You are likely to be loyal or give allegiance to someone that you can trust. Having trust will make it much easier for you to be committed in a relationship.
3. In turn, your character is further moulded
Building trust in your relationships does not only benefit your partner or other parties, but it can also influence your character positively.
Recognising trust in your relationship can help you to build better character or strengthen your virtue, such as dedication, compassion, empathy, and so on. You will have peace of mind which is also a strong base for character development.
4. Trust promotes open communication
The role of trust in enhancing open communication cannot be overemphasised. When there is trust, it is far easier to open up to someone about your issues, and know that whatever you let out will not be on the headlines of broadcasting networks.
I should mention that trust and open communication can strengthen your relationship. Open communication can also build and develop trust. One might ask: which comes first? The answer is - it depends on the relationship in question. For a family relationship and other personal relationships, trust exists before ‘real’ open communication.
A teen will freely talk to you if he/she can establish the presence of trust. For those starting a relationship, usually one tests the level of trust of the other partner with ‘disposable’ personal information before little secrets are eventually shared. Watch out for our post on ‘how to build trust in personal and professional relationships’.
5. You will feel secure in your relationships
You will feel more secure in a relationship that trust exists. You can off-load your secrets or thoughts to someone that you trust and still sleep well. You can easily rely on one another when there is trust.
Imagine you are in a long-distance relationship that trust
is alien, or think of a couple that always suspects each other of infidelity. There is bound to be insecurity in such relationships. Trust is one virtue that is needed to build a successful long-distance relationship (see our Insight Blog post here).
A child feels protected because he/she trusts that the parents are there for him/her. Employees will feel secure in a job if they know that their employer can be trusted to keep their side of the bargain. A business person can easily lend money to a customer whom he/she has trust in. Check your relationship today- if you feel insecure, there is all likelihood that TRUST might be missing.
6. Goals can be achieved faster
Trust is one of the strong pillars that any organisation wants to build among the employees and the management. With trust, goals and results can be achieved faster than when trust is absent. In other words, overall productivity is ultimately enhanced.
In a family setting, couples can be more productive and result-oriented when they trust each other. Parents and children can relate better when there is trust. Imagine telling your child to do something for a reward, and your child doesn’t trust you to deliver that promise, it will take extra effort to convince your child to do such a task.
We can all save time by building trust that will, in-turn, enhance our productivity.
7. It enhances team-building
The presence of trust is an essential ingredient in team-building. An excellent team leader is a trust builder or developer. Trusting your teammates can by-pass certain bureaucracies and get things done faster. To work as a team in a family or corporate organisation, you will need ‘trust’ to build a great team successfully.
8. Trust naturally institutes respect
Trust is the highest honour that I give to people. Put it this way, when I say ‘I trust you’, it means I just said one of the best things that you can hear. This statement alone will give you self-worth, honour, and dignity. If I am wrong, how do you feel when one tells you, I don’t trust you. It is one statement that you don’t want to hear. As disrespectful as that might sound, if you cannot be trusted, many people are already saying it in their heads or hearts.
Trust brings respect. I would rather invest in trust and earn my respect than to break every promise and destroy trust, then turn around to demand respect. Build trust today!
9. Trust promotes accountability
Trust can promote accountability in family and corporate relationships. For example, being a parent is a position of trust because you are accountable for your children. This is one of the reasons that car insurance companies will offer better insurance deals to parents because they trust them to be more careful drivers.
Do you have people around you that you don’t consider accountable or responsible, then check if there is trust?
10. It removes unnecessary anxiety
Trust eliminates unnecessary anxieties by giving you peace of mind. Anxiety or stress can trigger unwarranted actions too. In relationships, when there is trust, certain doubts, worries, and fears are removed.
People will be more genuine during their dating period when there is trust. Sometimes, people double-date because they are anxious about the outcome of their current relationship because trust is lacking.
Business partners are anxious to sign an agreement because there is no trust. Some bureaucracies are put in place because there is no trust. The list goes on.
Jesus Christ and Paul admonished their disciples to be anxious for nothing (Matthew 6:25 – 34, Philippians 4:6 - 7). Jesus was sure he would care for them. For them not to be worried, all they needed to do was to trust him. Faith in God, regardless of your belief system, is founded on trust.
Build trust in your relationship today, and eliminate all forms of unnecessary anxieties.
Appraise your relationships today to see to what extent trust has helped your relationships.
Dazzling Insights will be happy for you to share insights on other ways that trust has helped your relationships in the comments. Come on and let’s dazzle together with trust.
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