HOW DO WE TELL THE GOOD GUYS FROM THE BAD GUYS IN WORK AND LIFE?

This question is so important in this year-long battle of choosing the next leader of the United States. But it’s true even closer to home in our personal and business lives, as well. Which party do we trust the most? Which of the candidates could make rational international relations decisions? Whom do we trust to keep our country fiscally responsible? The list can go on, but it is pertinent as well to our personal and business lives. Trust is a willingness to be vulnerable, according to Professor Linda B. Stroh PhD, in her new book TRUST RULES. She goes on to lecture that we allow ourselves the trust because we have positive expectations of another’s behavior. Eric Erikson,the noted psychologist, has written as well that most of us learn our lessons about trust and mistrust in early life.

When we have trust in those around us, all parts of our lives become more balanced, making them much easier to manage. When a spouse or partner is honest and trustworthy we can better cope with the challenges of coupledom and have a better chance for an extraordinary relationship. The professor goes on to say that, “Trusting too much is just as detrimental to our welfare as not trusting enough.” In economic terms, the opportunity-cost of not trusting—in wasted time, money, mental energy, and physical and emotional health---is huge. Instead of enjoying life we are focusing on protecting ourselves from negative influences who might lie, or cheat to gain something that is ours.

Linda argues that trust is a prerequisite for effective management and it contributes to personal success. She interviewed over 300 people for her study and there are many common denominators for picking the right partners, friends and business associates who won’t let you down at the wrong time. It seems that since ancient times people have pondered this issue of trust. Whichever path you take after you study this informative book, your personal evaluations will never be the same and throughout your career or married life you will be judging more carefully than you ever did before. Good luck on that difficult challenge.