The Trust Equation: A Mathematical Approach to Not Being Terrible

A New Formula for Building Human Connection and Trust in the Workplace

Congratulations!

You’ve stumbled upon the holy grail of human relationships: a mathematical equation that can tell you exactly how trustworthy you are and help you understand the reason behind your mistrust of someone else.

There’s a new equation in town, and it’s here to solve all your social problems.

The Magic Formula

Behold, the Trust Equation: T = (C + R + I) / S

Where:

• T = Trustworthiness (The thing you want more of)
• C = Credibility (Do people think you know what you’re talking about?)
• R = Reliability (Do you actually do what you say you’ll do?)
• I = Intimacy (Do you make others feel comfortable and understood?)
• S = Self-Orientation (A high degree of this means you focus on your own needs versus the needs of others)

It’s like algebra, but for feelings! Who knew that the secret to human connection was hiding in your high school math textbook all along?

Breaking Down the Components

Credibility (C): “Trust Me, I’m an Expert”

Credibility is all about whether people think you know what you’re talking about or if you’re just confidently spouting nonsense. This includes your actual knowledge, your certifications, and your expertise.

Pro tip: Having strong opinions about everything doesn’t automatically make you credible. Shocking, I know.

To boost your Credibility score:

• Know your stuff before talking about it (revolutionary concept)
• Obtain legitimate certifications (SIA can assist!)
• Avoid prefacing your statements with “I’m not an expert, but…”

Reliability (R): The Act of Doing What You Said You’d Do

Reliability is the wild idea that when you say you’ll do something, you actually do it. We know—it sounds crazy in today’s world of ghosting and “maybe” RSVPs, but apparently, showing up when you say you will builds trust. Who knew?

Your Reliability score takes a hit every time you:

• Show up 20 minutes late with Starbucks and act like traffic is a new phenomenon
• Promise to send that email “by end of day” and then send it three days later
• Commit to helping a co-worker with a project and bail at the last minute

Intimacy (I): Creating Emotional Safety

Before your mind wanders to inappropriate places, Intimacy in the Trust Equation refers to emotional safety—the ability to make others feel comfortable sharing their thoughts without fear of judgment, betrayal or finding their personal business as the subject of your next group chat.

This is about creating a safe space where people can be vulnerable. The goal is to make people feel understood, not to collect ammunition for future arguments.

Warning signs your Intimacy score needs work:

• People suddenly change the subject when you walk up
• You share “anonymous stories” about co-workers that you heard somewhere
• You respond to emotional revelations with “That reminds me of the time I…”

Self-Orientation (S): The Trust Killer

Here’s where the math gets interesting. Self-Orientation is in the denominator, which means the higher your S score, the lower your overall trustworthiness.

Self-Orientation measures how much you focus on your own interests versus others’. High self-orientation is like relationship kryptonite—it makes all your other good qualities weaker. You could be the most credible, dependable, and emotionally safe person in the world, but if everything you do screams “What’s in it for me?”, your trust score plummets faster than your motivation on a Monday morning.

Putting It All Together: Trust Math for Dummies

Let’s say you score yourself honestly:

• Credibility: 7/10 (You know your stuff, mostly)
• Reliability: 6/10 (You show up…eventually)
• Intimacy: 8/10 (People feel safe with you)
• Self-Orientation: 9/10 (Everything is about you, always)

Your Trust score: T = (7 + 6 + 8) / 9 = 2.33

Congratulations! You’re about as trustworthy as a chocolate teapot.

Now let’s say you work on your self-centeredness and drop that Self-Orientation score to 3:

T = (7 + 6 + 8) / 3 = 7

Suddenly, you’re approaching “actual human being” levels of trustworthiness!

The Real-World Application (Or: How to Stop Being Awful)

The beauty of this equation is that it gives you a roadmap for improvement. Having trust issues? Just check your math:

• Low credibility? Stop talking about quantum physics when you failed high school chemistry.
• Poor reliability? Novel idea: Do what you say you’ll do, when you say you’ll do it.
• Intimacy problems? Listen more than you talk and resist the urge to solve everyone’s problems with your life story.
• High self-orientation? This is the big one. Ask yourself: “Is this about me, or is this actually about helping others?”

If you find yourself in a position where you don’t trust someone, break it down. Is it their C, R, I or T? Be courageous, share your observations and help the other person improve their trust score.

The Bottom Line

While I can’t promise that mastering the Trust Equation will solve all your relationship problems, it does provide a surprisingly useful framework for understanding why people either trust you with their secrets or won’t even trust you to water their plants. And it helps you understand why you wouldn’t rely on them to water yours.

Remember: Trust isn’t built overnight, but it can be destroyed faster than you can say “Did I tell you what happened to me?” Focus on others, be dependable, know your stuff and create emotional safety. It’s not rocket science—though, apparently, it is math.

Now go forth and be trustworthy!

The views and opinions expressed in guest posts and/or profiles are those of the authors or sources and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Security Industry Association.