The one thing that’s been hit hardest because of the pandemic might be our ability to trust. While some of us will be going back into the office soon, others will not be going back at all, and most of us will only be there for a few days a week.

• Trust is a conviction that is built slowly, over a long period of time, through repeated interactions. How can we build trust under these circumstances?
• Recent studies have shown how acknowledging the emotions of others can foster trust. The act of verbally recognizing someone else’s feelings is perceived as an effortful act and can help form deeper connections with them.
• But not all acknowledgments work equally.  When emotional acknowledgment is seen as motivated by selfish reasons it is not as effective because people assume that the act is done for personal benefit, rather than to help others. It may also be less effective in competitive settings, where people might question the intent of the acknowledger.