Over the years I’ve been in a leadership role, I have kept a running list of small behaviors or principles that build trust. They let others know the relationship you have with them is important to you. They serve as a set of behaviors and boundaries that promote integrity. They are things we all can do. Here are eight  I jotted down that recently have meant a lot to me.

1. Return calls promptly…next day at the latest.  If you can’t call right away send a quick text or email letting the caller know you got their message and will call back the next day.
2. Return emails on the same day. If you can’t fully answer, shoot back a courteous quick reply letting the sender know when you’ll respond to their question. Keep the conversation going.
3. If you are going to be late to a meeting send a text or a quick call to let the person leading the meeting know you are on your way and how late you’ll be.
4. Send  thank you notes, emails or texts frequently. Be generous with “thank you”.
5. If a group or meeting you are part of doesn’t have a secretary and needs someone to take minutes, volunteer to do it then email out the minutes to the group within 48 hours. (FYI often the minutes are not  much more than a detailed outline)
6. Before you can expect someone to be interested in what you have to say, you have to be interested in what they have to say.
7. If you make a mistake admit it, apologize for it, and learn from it.
8. Do not gossip (revealing personal or sensational facts about others…Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Gossiping ruins your credibility.

I challenge you to put these into practice over the next month and see how it goes.