Building Trust at Work

Trust is a necessary requirement in the workplace. Despite its importance it is not a common feature between employees, managers, and the executive suite.

Research by various firms indicates that fewer than 50% of employees trust their managers or their company. As bleak as that number is there are certain steps that everyone who manages a group or is part of team can take to develop trust over time.

To counteract additional stress factors of loss of trust in those relationships in your workplace it is essential to begin to address personal behaviour and note where integrity or congruence are beginning to erode.

Steps to rebuilding trust include:

• Being honest with your team or group even when facing difficulty or adversity.
• Own and admit to mistakes that you have made and the resulting cost of those mistakes.
• Train your team and yourself in the process to become aware of unconscious biases so that different approaches to solving problems or issues emerge.
• Put yourself on the line and show vulnerability by asking for feedback and then implementing the information gleaned into the day-to-day operations.

What other steps have you used to develop trust in your teams?

Marie-Helene & Effective Placement & Faery Godmothers