How much do you trust others?
Trust: it takes two to tango. For real trust to occur, one person needs to be trustworthy – to deserve the right to be trusted – and the other needs to be able to trust – to be just vulnerable enough to hand over some control.
Being able to trust.
How does that work?
This is a slightly more complicated question than you might think and there is a whole spectrum to explore.
On one end of this spectrum, you may trust others easily, giving others the benefit of the doubt and allowing them certain permission. Until, of course, they falter and prove they cannot be trusted. Having offered trust easily, we might shut the door completely after someone violates that trust.
On the other end of the spectrum, is a more discerning style, where you need to be certain that you can trust others, there’s no taking chances, so you make sure a person is 100% trustworthy before handing over the car keys or your passwords or the responsibility for creating your marketing plan.
Which end is better?
This is an impossible question. Neither. Both.
Most of us have a preference or default and we might need to adjust at times, for the sake of a relationship or getting a piece of work done.
If you normally hang out on the tougher end of the spectrum, this might be borne of wisdom, but also may be seen as cynical. At times, you may need to go out on a limb and trust people a little more than you are comfortable with, otherwise you may not ever be able to delegate, you might not ever give someone the chance to prove themselves worthy.
If you tend to be an open and trusting person, you could be taken advantage of and be seen as naïve – even while others appreciate your openness. At times, you will need to be a little more diligent. Not everyone will deserve the trust that you offer. Being a little more discerning would serve you well.
The point of this discussion is that it will serve us to reflect on our habits when it comes to trust – where are we on this spectrum and where do we make life (or work) difficult for ourselves?
There is no one way. Different situations call for differing levels of trust. So pay attention, considering lightening up or toughening up for when you need to.
Be sure to also see our blog post on being trustworthy
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