Ken Blanchard, the bestselling author of The One Minute Manager, talks about the four keys to building trust through his ABCD model.

Trust is the key to many good things in life. It's the key to a solid relationship with your partner. It's the key to building and maintaining high-performing teams. It's the key to building great relationships with friends and family members. And while you may know how to build trust intuitively, having the ABCD model in mind gives you the exact steps to help you build trust with anyone.

Able

The A in the ABCD model stands for able. To build trust, you have to show you are able to help the other person in some way. This means understanding the other person's needs and wants and helping them get it.

If your boss needs someone to create a report, then you create that report. If your partner needs someone to take out the trash, then you take out the trash every week.

Believable

The B in the ABCD model stands for believable. After you show you are able, show the other person you are believable and that you act with integrity.

Connected

The C in the ABCD model stands for connected. Show that you care about the other person. Listen and be empathetic. Show your interest in the other person. One great way to show that you care about the other person? Stand up for them even when they're not in the room.

Dependable

Finally, the D in the ABCD model stands for dependable. You can help someone. You are believable. You care about the other person. Finally, you consistently do all of the above. You do it when you say you'll do it.

How do you use the model? If trust has broken down completely between you and someone else, start with A and continue from there. If you're not sure that you trust or that someone fully trusts you, walk through the model to understand where the gap is. Have you or the other person shown they are Able, Believable, Connected or Dependable?