Trust is a vital interpersonal skill. Effective people are more understanding of the elements that influence trust than are people of less interpersonal effectiveness. People who are considered to be effective are more willing to put something of themselves at risk with another people, usually by confiding in other people. Trust should have limits, however.
Highly effective people make adjustments about trust in different risk situations. When those people reveal a shortcoming or flaw, they carefully, even sometimes shrewdly, risk their reputation and their self-esteem, but when they demonstrate this risk, they have usually concluded that the potential rewards are greater than the inherent risks in what they reveal. Occasionally, this is done because of misplaced faith or inappropriate naivete.
This is a self-assessment exercise in which you will not be required nor encouraged to share with anyone, if you prefer not to. The information you create in this “exercise” will remain within your complete control.
Take a few minutes and jot down some notes and do your best to respond openly and honestly to these five self-assessment questions:
- How would you describe the degree or level of your willingness to trust others?
- What factors affect your willingness to trust others?
- Is there something that you would never confide to anyone else?
- Why or why not?
- How could you be damaged if your trust in another person was betrayed?
The remainder of this topic (Part 2) will be posted on Thursday.