Trust as a Core Value and How to Build It
Trust is a concept that is often taken for granted until it is broken or put into question. When that happens, we are quickly reminded of what a critical role it plays in any relationship, and how vital trust is for a healthy and productive work environment. Over the course of two decades of research, author, professor and researcher, Paul J. Zak learned that people at high-trust companies report 50% higher productivity, 76% more engagement and 74% less stress, compared with those at low-trust companies.
If trust is a core value at your organization – and it should be – the leadership team needs to commit to maintaining that environment each and every day. Adhering to some simple guidelines will help build and protect a culture of trust:
Communicate Openly: Strive for thoughtful and transparent communication that is honest, relevant, and timely so that staff feels informed and included. Incorporating regular updates on company goals, strategies, and performance are ways to strengthen your communication plan. You can also share relevant information about decisions, changes, and company challenges. Reinforce the system by encouraging employees to ask questions, provide feedback, and express concerns.
Empower Staff: Allowing autonomy and decision-making authority contributes to job satisfaction and makes people feel important in their roles. Share successes and be comfortable giving credit to one person where credit is due. Leaders understand that accomplishments are often a team effort, but it inspires and encourages employees when they are given individual attention.
Encourage Relationship Building: While supporting a remote work environment has many benefits to employees, it creates new challenges for building and maintaining relationships with colleagues. It is up to managers to design opportunities for employees to build deeper relationships with one another. Some examples with productivity in mind include fostering a collaborative work environment that encourages knowledge sharing, or creating cross-functional initiatives to develop and expand skillsets. Strong relationships at work lead to a more trustworthy culture and increases employee retention.
Resolve Conflicts: Despite the difficulty, the “elephant in the room” should always be addressed. Neglecting unspoken conflict can break down a healthy work environment, creating distraction and causing frustration, discomfort, and sadness. When they happen, conflicts should be treated privately, fairly, and objectively, in a way that respects the people involved and strives to create a resolution.
Show Respect: Quality work products are important to long-term success, but equally important is how we treat one another. Simply prioritizing someone’s well-being by offering a supportive work environment and respecting a healthy work-life balance helps establish a culture of trust. Respect can also be shown with humility combined with the understanding that we are not perfect. There will be times where someone makes a mistake, chooses an unfavorable response to a question, or reacts defensively. If we are quick to realize the impact of our behavior, simply saying “I’m sorry” will help safeguard trust. Both hearing and accepting an apology are part of a strong trust culture.
These guidelines are very much centered around the actions and choices we make as leaders. Our conversations and commitments have a powerful impact on a person’s sense of security, job satisfaction and job confidence. By demonstrating integrity, consistency and fairness in your actions, communications, and decisions, you can lead by example to strengthen your organization upon a culture of trust.
For more information or if you have any questions about how Turning Point Strategic Advisors can assist you, please reach out or call (425) 531-1127. We are here to help!
