Picture this: you are a leader. You lead a small startup organization - which means that it is high-risk-high-reward. And your next goal is to make your organization succeed. To make that reality, you must begin by cultivating and building trust in the workplace.
Without trust, you cannot:
- Operate a hybrid or remote workforce.
- Help create a meaningful employee experience.
- Retain talents.
- Maintain or build your brand
- Expand your business.
But first, let's define trust. Trust is having a sense of security and confidence when dealing with someone. It also means having the ability to predict that someone will act in specific ways and be dependable, and lastly, trust is earning a level of credibility that has built up over time. Finally, it also means that there must be feelings for employees, such as knowing that leaders are on ?their side.?
Acknowledgement
If you want to be a mental rockstar who can encourage trust in the workplace, you can start by acknowledging that earning trust from others will take a while.
You earn the trust of others by making an effort to walk your talk, keep your promises and align your behaviour with your purpose and values. It may be worth the effort - and even more worth the effort to retain it. However, if you fail to walk your talk etc., it will be harder to regain that trust.
To build gradual trust, you must be consistent in your efforts.
Listen
Your team of employees, individually, are all smart and well-trained individuals who understand what they have to do. They may also have their viewpoints and ideas about the tasks that must be executed. When you ask them to speak their minds, listening actively to them and what they have to say is better.
You can ask your employees questions, check up on them, and encourage them to elaborate more so you can truly understand what they want to vocalize. At work, you get plenty of opportunities to listen every day.
You can check on them daily or weekly, especially when they feel unwell.
Ask and Act-On Feedback
Furthermore, a great tip is to ask for feedback and to act on it. If you want to be a better performer who people can rely on, then you need to solicit feedback continuously.
After identifying the problem areas based on the feedback, you can act quickly to weather your weak areas before they become serious problems. First, ensure you and your team align on how to work with them to improve your work.
Trust Your Team
Lastly, empower your team by trusting them. If you show your team that you trust them, they will also be more likely to trust you.
One way to show that is to invest in their skills and professional development by setting aside time to personally teach and practice skills with them. In addition, you can also give them extra responsibilities, such as inviting them to a meeting with a client.
Wrapping Up
Strengthening trust in the workplace is a challenge. However, it can be done. Two of the most crucial tips are to take immediate action on employee feedback and offer words of appreciation daily.
Author's Bio:
Edwin Deponte is a motivational writer and a mental health advocate who is very passionate in writing about workplace mental and emotional health.
Tags:
Image Credits: Freepik
