Why trust takes time

1-minute summary

In this episode of his CEO diary, Christoph Standl talks about something you can't buy and can't build in a few days: trust. It is among the most valuable things of all, in business as in private life. As an entrepreneur you notice it in particular – customers, employees, business partners, suppliers, investors and banks all have to trust you. And trust has one peculiarity: it takes time. In twelve years of Tourismus Interaktiv many relationships did not arise within weeks; some customers have accompanied the company since the very first hour, with some partners difficult situations have been weathered together. That is exactly where trust shows what it means: it doesn't arise because everything always works, but from how you treat each other when something doesn't work – whether someone takes responsibility, communicates openly, keeps their word and looks for a solution. He too has made decisions he would make differently today and has not always been able to meet expectations as planned. Precisely then: don't run away, but communicate, take responsibility, keep going. Trust doesn't come from perfection but from reliability – and is thus a prime example of long-term thinking: it grows over years, with every conversation, every project, every promise kept. That applies to companies as much as to friendships, partnerships and families. His question: with which people in your life has real trust grown over many years – and why? Perhaps it's worth telling those people so. Big changes often begin with small daily steps.