If you want people to understand you and trust you, make your intent clear. Don’t leave it open to interpretation. When people are left to guess your intent, they will likely assume the worst. If you expect people to read your mind, they will probably read it wrongly.

Trust is an ongoing process—it’s neither automatic nor self-sustaining. It must first be earned to gain the benefit of the doubt. If you’re uncommunicative or appear to be dodging questions, you should expect people to doubt you.

Don’t expect people to automatically understand you—you need to explain yourself. If it’s a partner, they need to explain themselves to you too.