Have you ever heard someone say, "Trust me," and you thought to yourself, "Hmm, I'm not sure about this?" It takes time and consistency to build trust. So when someone says, "Trust me," your brain immediately starts looking for signs that you can trust them—or not! We look for predictable patterns like:

• Have they always followed through?

• Do they do what they say they are going to do?

• Have you had enough experience with the person to know if you can trust them?

• Have they said this before and then not followed through or done something shady? (whatever shady looks like for you)

Research has shown that building trust can take anywhere from weeks to months—or even years—depending on the relationship and the individuals involved.

The truth is that there is no set amount of time it takes to build trust. At the same time, trust grows through positive interactions that happen over and over again.

Factors such as honesty, reliability, and consistency are key. Another complex component of trust is overcoming past traumas or betrayals. These can impact the length of time it takes to build trust. And this is both in our personal and professional lives.

Here are some tips for building trust:

• Be transparent and honest. People find out when you’re not and it can affect your relationship moving forward.

• Keep your promises. Building trust requires consistently following through on commitments. And when you can’t - let the person know!

• Communicate! Good communication helps build understanding and can prevent misunderstandings that can erode trust.

• Respect boundaries. Be mindful of the other person’s needs and feelings.

• Be reliable. Consistently follow through on responsibilities.

• Show empathy. Demonstrate care and compassion for others’ perspectives and feelings.

• Lead by example. Modeling trustworthy behavior can inspire others to trust you.

• Forgive. Forgiving others and moving on from mistakes shows maturity and shows that you value their relationship more than holding onto past grievances.

And please, no more "Trust Me!" When the brain begins scanning and discovers something you did not do, it raises a red flag and alerts the other person.

The good news is that if you intentionally walk the talk of trust, you will develop a reputation of trust that will carry you from one person to the next. And we all know that, aside from "being the trustworthy person," reputation is priceless and, in some cases, even more powerful, particularly when it comes from other trustworthy people.

"Trust is built with consistency. If you want people to trust you, you have to be consistent in your words and actions."

- Unknown