Student Engagement and Leadership Team (SELD) at California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) hosted a discussion as part of their Student Knowledge in Life Leadership Series on Oct. 13.
The event “Building Strong Relationships: How We Earn Peoples Trust” was moderated by Dan Burfiend, Coordinator of Student Organizations, Leadership Development and Assessment for SELD, and Camille Mendoza, a student coordinator for SELD.
Opening with a discussion about what people think of when they hear the word “trust,” Burfiend said he commonly hears trust and lying brought up together. When talking about trust with his small children at home, Burfiend says honesty is often brought up in relation.
“Lying is the easiest way to break trust,” Burfiend said.
“Girls trust girls,” Mendoza said. Talking about how she noticed girls subconsciously tend to trust each other, this led into a discussion about trusting people based on similarities. Being relatable, showing you are human or looking similar to someone tends to build trust quickly, according to Burfiend and Mendoza.
The discussion demonstrated other examples. Yelp reviews, references and referrals are all common examples of trusting others. Burfiend brought up tribalism, and asked participants if they would trust a Californian more than a Texan based on their home state.
As the event wound down, Burfiend noted there is more to be covered regarding trust and relationships.
“This would make a good class,” Burfiend said.
The next event in the Student Knowledge in Life Leadership Series will be Hard Conversations: The Importance Of Finding Common Ground on Nov. 9.