I’m sure you would say you are trustworthy.
However, as I’ve covered in other posts, while it’s important that you do think you’re trustworthy (a sense of self-trust), your trustworthiness is determined by others.
Whether in your personal or professional life, others will determine your trustworthiness based on their assessment that you are a person of good character, a person who demonstrates competence, and a person who consistently acts in ways that demonstrate good character, competence, and aligned personal values.
Their assessment of your trustworthiness is based on their perceptions and beliefs about your intention(s), and on their observations and experiences of your promises, actions and the results you produce for them.
Mistakes and Trustworthiness
Everyone makes mistakes.
I know I have, and some with significant consequences.
However, if you get clear on your intention for others (what you want for them, not what you want from them), if you do make an unintentional mistake, your character, competence, and consistency will allow others to still see you as trustworthy.
Just an important note here: Repeatedly making mistakes, even if you are clear on your intentions for others, is a demonstration that your character, competence or consistency need more work and your trustworthiness is in question.
Activity
Thinking about the three elements for trustworthiness – character, competence, and consistency – choose one element to work on this week.
What could you start, stop or continue to do that will enhance this element of your trustworthiness?
The research is clear here – relationships matter, and trust is at the heart of almost all positive relationships.
As you focus on your trustworthiness, you’ll be building more trust-based relationships, which is one of the major sources of meaning in your life.
25 Contributing Elements to Living a Good Life
This topic of Trustworthiness is just one of 25 contributing elements to living a good life that I write about in my book LIVING in the Light of Day.
If you haven’t got your copy yet (in hardcover, paperback, kindle/ebook or audiobook versions), you can Buy It Here.
