In a previous post, I looked at the issue of trust in the workplace, why it matters, why it’s difficult to achieve and why we need it now more than ever. In this blog, I’ll look at four important considerations when trying to develop trust within a team.
Of course, these aren’t snap solutions. Trust is an immensely complex idea, one that philosophers have grappled with for centuries. In our personal lives, many of us spend decades trying to achieve a healthy, fully trusting relationship. However, by becoming more mindful of these four pillars of trust in your day-to-day interactions you can enhance the levels of trust in your organisation, which is a proven way to achieve success.
1.There is no fixed definition of trust
This makes trust a particularly slippery issue. Different people perceive different behaviours as trustworthy. You might think that you are a completely reliable employee, while your boss is observing a particular behaviour with increasing doubt.
For example, we all know the person in the office who is constantly running late and scraping deadlines. Many people would say that she is untrustworthy. However, from her perspective, she is always willing to help colleagues, to take on additional work and to go the extra mile for the team. Sure, that sometimes means arriving late to meetings, but it’s because she’s so committed to her work that she can’t quite keep up.
2. Communication is key
In the situation described above, both perspectives are entirely reasonable and conflict can be avoided through trust and positive communication. A trusting manager can communicate to an effective but slightly disorganised employee that he appreciates her work and believes in her capacity to achieve outcomes. In turn, if the employee trusts the manager, she will accept a suggestion that perhaps she needs to drop some projects to ensure that her work life is more balanced.
The key point is that each person needs to trust that the other is behaving based on good intentions. If you’re beginning to feel uncertain about a colleague’s behaviour, try to discover what difference of understanding is behind it, rather than allowing resentment and doubt to build.
3. Trust is reciprocal
In an ideal workplace, trust is a two-way street. Managers show respect for their employees by allowing them independence and avoiding micromanaging. In turn, employees are responsible for demonstrating their competence and reliability. In particular, it’s important to respect your manager’s wishes by adhering to agreed guidelines and instructions. In other words, trust that your more experienced colleague is giving you good advice. This doesn’t preclude creativity; it simply ensures that the company hierarchy operates the way it should.
4. Trust justifies itself
As I mentioned in the last post, the great thing about trust is that it’s self-strengthening. While the initial shift towards becoming a more trusting team member can be tough, I can guarantee that if you commit it will enhance workplace relationships and output. And each time that happens, your decision to trust is rewarded and your confidence in other people increases.
Until next time,
Julia
