Communication Builds Trust

Have you ever worked with someone, or tasked someone with a job, and not only did they do a good job, but they were also a true pleasure to work with?

I mean throughout the entire process, you felt at ease.

At no point during the time you worked with them were you left wondering what was going on. You were never confused. You were never in the dark. You never had to chase them down for answers.

If you’ve experienced this before, then you know the feeling I’m talking about.  There’s something about working with someone like that that feels like a breath of fresh air.

I’ve had a few of these experiences. And while I know there’s probably more to it, there is one common thread I’ve noticed with the people who made the experience feel this way.

They kept me informed before I ever had to ask.

Essentially, they communicated.

In life, but especially in the workplace, professionals often lose trust not because they failed, but because they went quiet.

Silence creates uncertainty.  A quick update to a client, prospect, coworker, boss, or whoever else you’re working with can save a lot of hassle on the back end.

It can prevent:

Simply put, communication is part of execution.

Now, there is such a thing as over-communicating, but if I had to choose between over-communicating and under-communicating, I’ll always choose the former.

You never know who you’re working with.  It’s easy to tell someone to dial back the communication.  It’s much more annoying to constantly have to pull communication out of someone.

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To boil this whole concept down to a couple of sentences, it would be this:

People love working with people who make them feel like things are handled.  Not because everything is perfect, but because they don’t have to chase them for clarity.

One of the easiest ways to build trust is to consistently put yourself in a position where people don’t have to wonder where things stand.

That’s true in business.
That’s true in leadership.
That’s true in relationships.
That’s true in almost every area of life.

When people know what’s going on, they can relax.  Sometimes, that alone is enough to separate you from everyone else.

The person who communicates well becomes the person people trust.  The person people trust becomes the person people want to work with again.  You see the domino effect?

In a world where too many people disappear, delay, or go silent, being the person who keeps people informed is a real advantage.

So before someone has to ask for an update, give them one.  Before confusion has a chance to build, clear it up.  Before uncertainty turns into frustration, communicate.