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How to Build Trust in a Relationship

Step 1

Be trustworthy yourself. People are attracted to persons who tend to walk the talk. Make sure your actions and your professed standards are in harmony. When people notice that you actually do what you say is ethical and moral, they are more likely to put stock in what you have to say.

Step2

Follow through when you make a promise. This can apply to anything from showing up for lunch to helping out in a crisis. Never promise anything that you know you can’t deliver. People will trust someone who will not commit much more than someone who makes commitments and consistently breaks them.

Step3

Keep confidences. When someone chooses to share personal details about a problem he or she is dealing with, keep your ears open and your mouth shut. Do not discuss what you have been told with anyone else without permission. Exceptions would be situations where life-threatening consequences or the commission of illegal acts could result.

Step4

Demonstrate respect and awareness for the personal space of others. If you know Saturday mornings are family time for your best friend, make it a point to not call or visit until the afternoon. Respecting boundaries can go a long way in establishing and building trust between two people.

Step5

Keep a cool head when an acquaintance is having a meltdown of some sort. Allow the individual time to vent. Once the first round of extreme emotion has passed, then is the time to attempt to reason with and help the acquaintance find an acceptable solution to whatever problem caused the outburst.

Step6

Always be honest with other people. If your opinion is asked and you don’t agree with an idea or course of action, then say so. This can be accomplished by pointing out reasons why a different solution would be a better fit, rather than attacking the course of action promoted by your acquaintance. By doing so, you offer further food for thought and do not imply that your acquaintance is lacking in reasoning capability or some other attribute.

http://www.ehow.com/how_2323487_build-trust-relationship