Building trust in a relationship isn’t a skill set people are born with. It’s a skill we learn as we navigate the intricacies of life, interact with people, and experience human nature. The question itself precludes that there is a lack of trust in a relationship. Why? Because very often we get feedback from our interactions with others that people are focused on themselves and their own wants and desires. When those goals don’t align with our initiatives, we find ourselves alone and unsure of who we can rely on.
If you want to know how to build trust in a relationship, the first thing you need to know is that it all boils down to you and your perspective. Unfair? No, liberating. Why? Because taking ownership of the interactions in your life means you get to determine the outcomes. You are in control of every aspect of your life, including the level of trust in your relationships.
How do you do that? By understanding that if there is a lack of trust in your relationship, then you aren’t aligned with the other person and you have the power to change that.
Building Trust In A Relationship Is Simple
Building trust in a relationship is simple, but not intuitive. We often think of our relationships as 50/50 agreements, but in reality, relationships require 100% commitment from both parties. You can’t control what the other person does, but you can control what you do and how you interact with them and respond to their concerns, needs, and requests.
By taking ownership of your relationships and shifting your perspective, you begin to see the path to getting the result you want which should align with what is mutually beneficial. Ownership is not a path to selfishness and manipulation; it’s the path of empowerment to accomplish your common goals because that serves the greater good in your relationship.
Ways To Build Trust In A Relationship
Now that you know you’re in complete control of your relationships, it’s time to execute. Here are some ways to build trust in a relationship or even start building back trust in a relationship:
Find Common Ground
Why are you in this relationship in the first place? What benefit do you and the other person get out of your partnership? There’s something there and you need to understand what it is. Find the common ground to learn how to align toward a common goal.
What Are You Trying to Accomplish?
What is your goal? What are you working together to achieve? With friends, it might be a good time and enjoying each other’s company. At home, it might be a cohesive united front built on trust and understanding. In the workforce, it might be a sales goal, development of a new product, or closing a deal.
Take Ownership
Knowing that you’re in complete control, it’s time to apply ownership. Acknowledge your part in any breach in trust, any misunderstandings that might have occurred, or any struggles that you are having. Own your mistakes and acknowledge how things could have been different, and watch the other person start to do the same.
Give Trust
The only way to get others to trust you is by first proving that you trust them. At work that might mean you show your trust by letting a team member run a project or utilizing a peer’s idea or following your boss’ lead. These are just a few examples of how you can show another person that you trust them, and over time, they will begin to trust you more as well.
Activities For Building Trust In A Relationship
We started with a question, “How to build trust in a relationship?” We know it takes a united front built on mutual understanding, respect, and appreciation. We know you need to take ownership of your relationships. We also know that this path will get you the results you want, so what are some activities to build trust in a relationship?
At Echelon Front, we have an array of products and services designed to teach and enable leaders at all levels. Leadership is the solution. That’s something we believe and we know that’s how to build trust in a relationship. Ownership is leadership and if you want to learn how to build that trust, you need to take action.
Recognizing that most people struggle to understand relationships and how they work we built an entire relationships course to help you navigate those waters. It’s a great starting point to learn the core principles and the do-and-do nots of building trust in a relationship. It’s part of our online leadership training portal.
Beyond online learning, we have leadership conferences and workshops where you can work with and learn from our cadre of instructors who have implemented relationship-building techniques in the most intense arena of life: war.
For ways to build trust in a relationship beyond that, we’d encourage you to check out our leadership workshops like the FTX where you’re put in high-stress situations that show you what you’re made of as a leader and give you real-time feedback on how you can do a better job of applying the principles we’ve discussed today.
As a team or organization, we offer leadership consulting services that can make a dramatic shift in your organization both up and down the chain of command.
Not sure what is right for you? Contact us today.
