Trust

How do two adults learn to trust one another?
It is our nature to be somewhat guarded, especially when we have something worth guarding.
What is it that eventually allows two people to trust each other? In the lightest sense to just become friends and in a heavier sense entrusting someone with something that is very dear to us - a relative, a co-workers, a partner or an employer.

A. G. Koepcke states:

"Why do we trust people we perceive to be similar to ourselves? Surprisingly, the answers are simple. Trust between people is based on the perception that efforts between the parties will be reciprocated, reactions will be predictable, and members of the organization will least likely be faced with situations in which they are unprepared. The desire for security is a key motivator in developing trusting relationships in an organization.
Persuasion is how we are influenced to trust based on our environment and life experiences. The persuasion to trust a person can be brought about by our peers, our needs, and the availability of opportunities which support our way of life. Persuasion motivates us to accept and trust people, ideas, principles, faiths, and respect authority.
According to Robert Cialdini(1), there are six characteristics of human nature which come into play to bring forth a favorable response in persuasion. These are “reciprocation, consistency, social validation, liking, authority, and scarcity.” These elements will either positively or negatively influence a person to make a decision about trusting someone they have just met, and understanding the effects of persuasion can improve relationships within an organization.
Someone who has not gained our trust may seem like a wild card, and when gaging the successful outcome we hope the deck is stacked in our favor. This fear of failure allows us to justify exclusions within the workplace, even if we know the exclusions are unfair or wrong. If we have to share responsibility for the outcome of a project, we want to give ourselves every advantage possible."