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Are you one of those people that automatically trusts everyone right off the bat? Or are you the type that believes people need to earn your trust? What is it exactly that makes us trust another? I found this quote while conducting some research and I really like it. It sums it all up. (Though I am sorry to say I haven't been able to verify where it originated.) Trust is a prediction of reliance on an action, based on what a party knows about the other party. Think about that. We are essentially guessing that the outcome will be what we want. But more than that, the foundation for our best guess is our knowledge of the person we're dealing with. Our knowledge of the other person. Bingo. Whether it's been 20 years or 20 minutes, we still have to assess what we know and make the decision to trust or not. So what do we look for? FIRST IMPRESSIONS. A favorable first impression will go a long way when a quick decision has to be made. GUT INSTINCT. Intuition plays a huge role whether we know someone or not. RELATIONSHIPS. It's easier to trust someone whose character we are familiar and comfortable with. CONFIDENCE. Our confidence in others may prompt them to act accordingly. HONESTY. People with integrity will do the right thing. PAST EXPERIENCE. Good or bad prior experience will certainly sway a decision. CONSISTENCY. People who have proven themselves to be reliable in the past will more than likely continue to be that way. If you've been "burned" many times in the past by someone you've trusted or you find it hard to trust anybody, you should re-evaluate the criteria you generally follow in making your decision. Review the above list and think about the items you hadn't consciously thought about before. We need to know how to gauge people so that we can willingly trust the right person in the right situation. Trust is an integral part of our lives - it's like eating because (if you think about it) we can't get by without it but we should go about it in a healthy manner. DO WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE? You may as long as you let me know and include this blurb with it: 1/15/09 (C) Kimberly J. McCloskey, Professional Virtual Assistant, in her attempt to help all people improve their personal and professional productivity, shares her insight through her newsletter "Productive Pointers". Request your subscription at kimberly.j.mccloskey @ gmail.com or http://kimberlymccloskey.wordpress.com Kimberly McCloskey, Virtual Assistant
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trust, first impressions, gut instinct, conficence, honesty, experience, consistency,
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