Trust: When Did We Lose It and Can We Get It Back?
Recently, I was leading a team of key stakeholders through a strategic visioning process. It was thought-provoking and lively, with everyone participating fully.
At one point, a question was raised, one that required the team to shift focus. Someone felt that we needed to address a lack of trust among the team members. Another asked, "When did we lose our trust [in one another]?"
Good is the enemy of great. - Jim Collins
I often ask my clients this question: "On a scale of 1-10, what do you feel is the level of trust in your organization?" Followed by: "What would it take to make it a 10?"
I knew from previous interviews with these stakeholders that the level of trust was somewhere around a 4 or 5. Not bad. But is that good enough?
One of the things I love about the strategic visioning process is that it can be effective in building trust in any organization.
What I've Learned About Trust
Trust is fragile.
Trust must be earned.
Building trust takes time.
Trust can be broken or damaged easily/quickly.
Trust is a bedrock for higher levels of engagement.
Trust is earned not by what you say but rather by your actions. Trust is built on consistency.
You build and strengthen trust by being authentic. Being authentic takes courage - the courage to be vulnerable and lead from your true self.
You engender higher levels of trust when you are in touch with your feelings, are aware of how others see you, and understand what others need from you.
Nowadays, everyone is focused on how to improve employee engagement. The starting point is showing trust in your employees by giving them opportunities for growth and engaging with them in one-to-one conversations.
Here are a few ideas for you to consider if you want to build or rebuild trust in your company:
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate. I'm talking face-to-face conversations in addition to all your communication channels. Frequency and consistencrust takes time.
Trust can be broken or damaged easily/quickly.
Trust is a bedrock for higher levels of engagement.
Trust is earned not by what you say but rather by your actions. Trust is built on consistency.
You build and strengthen trust by being authentic. Being authentic takes courage - the courage to be vulnerable and lead from your true self.
You engender higher levels of trust when you are in touch with your feelings, are aware of how others see you, and understand what others need from you.
Nowadays, everyone is focused on how to improve employee engagement. The starting point is showing trust in your employees by giving them opportunities for growth and engaging with them in one-to-one conversations.
Here are a few ideas for you to consider if you want to build or rebuild trust in your company:
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate. I'm talking face-to-face conversations in addition to all your communication channels. Frequency and consistency matter.
Assume positive intent. Practice leaving judgment and ego at the door and have a real conversation.
Listen as though your life depends on it. How? Let silence do the heavy lifting and be truly engaged.
Be consistent with your actions and words, and be authentic.
Embrace conflict and don't avoid it. If handled properly, resolving conflict within a team can accelerate higher levels of trust. How do you handle it properly?
Implementing these five ideas will go a long way in building trust and handling difficult conversations. It's a start, but you have to start somewhere. The best time to start? It's now.
Bonus: I have spent years developing my approach to enhancing engagement. The result is The Engagement Accelerator, a quick guide with 17 tips for better communication and conversations. You can grab your free copy here.
Final Thoughts
Trust can erode quickly and quietly. Without a high level of trust, sustainable success is impossible. You probably won't even recognize that trust is diminished until it's obvious that it's broken. By then, it may be too late to correct it without extraordinary effort on everyone's part.
Who is responsible for maintaining and strengthening trust in your company? As I tell all my clients, everything flows from you. If you want to amplify trust in your organization, then be trusting and trustworthy.
Until next time!
