Building Trust: in Business, Politics, Relationships, and Life

Nothing can undermine a relationship more completely than lack of trust. In business, politics, marriage, indeed in any significant relationship, trust is the essential precondition upon which all real success depends. But what, precisely, is trust? How can it be achieved and sustained? And, most importantly, how can it be regained once it has been broken?

In Building Trust, Robert C. Solomon and Fernando Flores offer compelling answers to these questions. They argue that trust is not something that simply exists from the beginning, something we can assume or take for granted; that it is not a static quality, or some semi-mystical atmosphere or "social glue." Instead, they assert that trust is an emotional skill, an active and dynamic part of our lives that we build and sustain with our promises and commitments, our emotions and integrity. In looking closely at the effects of mistrust--from insidious office politics that can sabotage a company's efficiency, to national politics rife with cynicism, to marriages that must be protected by prenuptial agreement--Solomon and Flores demonstrate how to move from naive trust that is easily shattered to an authentic trust that is sophisticated, reflective, and possible to renew. The key to creating such trust, they show, is communication, a willingness to bring an uncomfortable subject into the open where its processes can be analyzed, understood, and rationally negotiated.

As the global economy makes us more and more reliant on "strangers," and as our political and personal relationships become more complex, Building Trust offers invaluable insight into a quality none of us can flourish without.

About the Authors

Robert C. Solomon is the Quincy Lee Centennial Professor of Business and Philosophy at the University of Texas, Austin. His books include A Short History of Philosophy and Business Ethics, both published by OUP.

Fernando Flores is Presidente, Fundacion Chile (a Chilean non-governmental organization) and Chairman and CEO of Business Design Associates, Inc.