Trust. It's the essential foundation of every relationship. And, in an organization, trust is fundamental — particularly given trends such as job-sharing, telecommuting, and virtual teams. The concept seems so simple, but how do you train on trust?

Trust: The Ultimate Test Second Edition is a powerful tool for helping facilitators explore this sensitive issue — without arousing defensiveness. There simply is no other product like it available today. Through Trust’s 24-item assessment and its insight on the dimensions of trust-related behaviors, participants find a deeper understanding of trust, which they can apply to their individual, team, and organizational relationships.

Learning Outcomes

• Identify one’s individual tendency to trust
• Understand the factors that affect the decision to trust
• Discover 4 groups of behavior that indicate trust
• Learn how to improve one’s trust level

Theory

Based on the elements of trust described by Mayer and others and a review of the research on trust, the evidence of trust in people’s behavior can be distilled into 4 distinct areas. These 4 areas constitute the 4 dimensions measured by the Trust self-assessment:

• Evidence of Lack of Monitoring
• Evidence of Benevolence
• Evidence of Openness
• Evidence of Risk Taking

Uses for Trust – The Ultimate Test

Trust – The Ultimate Test is appropriate to use with individuals as well as teams. The assessment is particularly helpful for these situations:

• One or more low-trust relationships are hurting an entire team's productivity.
• You want to provide intensive, one-on-one coaching for leaders.
• Two peers need to address the issue of trust in their relationship.
• You want to assess readiness for alternative work arrangements, such as telecommuting.

The instrument is effective when used as a stand-alone instrument as well as a component of a larger training program.