Step 8: Formulate a plan A major stumbling block in the trust rebuilding process is that parties have different ideas about what is fair. The egocentric bias once again rears its ugly head with most harmdoers perceiving themselves as more beneficent than the harmed. However, the mere act of asking the harmed what he or she needs can go a long way toward rebuilding trust. In an empirical investigation of breaches of trust, harmdoers who asked “What can I do?” were more successful in rebuilding cooperation than those who did not ask or asked “What will it take?” Penance is critical to trust in mixed-motive relationships. Aggravating a counterparty after a breach by making offers of penance that do not seem sincere may further antagonize. In contrast, volunteering to do penance, even in small amounts, is particularly effective.