Organizations don’t function effectively without trust. Success, even survival in your business is dependent on trust. It is for this reason that I’ve chosen Trust - The Foundation for Remote Working Relationships as this month’s topic, especially during this pandemic. To start, let’s establish what it means to trust, why it’s so important, and how to achieve it.
What does it mean “to trust”?
“To trust” is believing in the reliability, truth or ability of someone or something. A great example of how trust manifests in the workplace is through delegation and accountability. Successful delegation entails much more than simply transferring tasks to direct reports or other employees. Rather, it refers to the transfer of the responsibility and authority that is needed to produce the desired outcomes. It is this reason that so many managers and leaders fail to delegate effectively...TRUST! Having accountability meetings via Zoom or Google Meetings enable proof of work and productivity for the leaders that struggle with delegation!
Often, it is nothing more than strongly held beliefs that block leaders from delegating effectively. The often think that:
-
I don’t trust employees to do the job as well as I can.
-
I believe it will take me less time to do the work than to delegate.
-
I don’t believe my employees have adequate motivation and commitment to quality.
-
I don’t believe that delegation will give me job security.
Why is it important to trust?
In the example of delegation, trust is very important. In the examples above, several barriers to effective delegation from managers and leaders stem from a lack of trust. The leader’s role is to lead and manage others, not do the work for them.
With trust and effective delegation , leaders, and their teams can experience these benefits:
-
Freeing up leader’s time for planning, organization, and decision-making
-
Leaders get to practice developing and growing employees
-
Encourages trust and open communication flow within your organization
-
Opens processes and decisions to different opinions/insights
-
Builds team morale and spurs creativity
-
Gives your team a sense of community and belonging even as remote workers at this time
How do you achieve trust?
There are many ways to achieve trust in the workplace, but all take work and dedication. Trust, especially in the context of people’s livelihood (i.e. the workplace), is not something that is readily given - it must be built and developed. When beginning to work on increasing trust, it is important to have a foundation of emotional intelligence. Once this skill is achieved, other practices such as mentorship, receiving feedback from employees, leading by example, etc. will help solidify trusting professional relationships.
Of the many approaches to building trust in the current remote workplace, the most effective ones allow for clear demonstration of these key elements of trust by you as a leader:
-
Reliability
-
Openness
-
Acceptance
-
Relatability
-
Responsibility
-
Honesty
In the month of August, we will dissect and discuss each of these key elements.
If you’re looking for ways to increase trust within your workforce but aren’t sure where to start, I can help. Contact me!