Andrea Miller is the Founder and CEO of Veritas Leadership, enhancing business results through executive coaching and leadership training.
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The ability to build and maintain trust is an essential leadership competency. Leaders are accountable for the trust climate of their teams and responsible for maintaining a work environment that fosters the fundamental components of trust. Leaders can create the conditions for trust by demonstrating proactive inclusivity, establishing psychological safety, ensuring collaborative decision-making and maintaining transparency.
Yet laying the groundwork is not enough. Trust-building must be an intentional, consistent and ongoing process. There are relatively simple, yet highly impactful, strategies leaders can use to establish and maintain trust within their teams.
1. Communicate effectively and often.
Regular, clear communication helps prevent misunderstandings and ensure that everyone is on the same page. Leaders should strive for clarity in their communication, ensuring messages are understood as intended. Frequent communication with the team through a regular cadence of one-on-one and group meetings ensures that communication is prioritized, predictable and on the calendar.
2. Show vulnerability.
Leaders who are willing to show their vulnerabilities and admit when they don't have all the answers can significantly enhance trust with their team members. This humanizes the leader and makes them more relatable. It also cultivates psychological safety for the rest of the team.
3. Lead by example.
The adage "Actions speak louder than words" holds true in leadership. By demonstrating the behaviors they wish to see in their team, leaders can set the standard for what is expected and respected within the organization.
4. Recognize and appreciate efforts.
When leaders acknowledge team members' hard work and achievements, they show them that their contributions are valued. This can be done through private thanks or even more impactfully through public recognition. Gratitude and recognition not only boost morale but also reinforce the positive and productive behaviors that leaders want to encourage.
5. Provide regular feedback.
Just as important as appreciative feedback, leaders should provide informal and formal constructive feedback in a supportive manner. Feedback is a gift. By sharing specific examples of an observed action and the impact it had on the project or team, and then providing guidance on a way forward, leaders show their generosity and investment in developing their employees. Moreover, actively listening to their ideas and concerns shows employees that you value their input.
6. Be consistent.
Consistency in words and actions builds credibility over time. Leaders should ensure that their actions match their commitments, as inconsistency can quickly erode trust.
7. Build personal connections.
Taking the time to understand team members' individual goals, strengths and challenges can strengthen relationships and build mutual trust. This includes showing genuine interest in their well-being beyond the workplace. Leaders can use their natural curiosity and active listening to get to know their people and discover their individual motivations. This not only builds trust but also helps align roles and responsibilities to purpose.
8. Encourage and facilitate professional growth.
Creating space for team members to develop their skills and advance their careers demonstrates a commitment to their personal and professional growth. Sponsoring training, sharing your network, offering stretch assignments and connecting team members with mentors can significantly enhance employees’ trust and loyalty to the leader and the organization.
9. Provide support and resources.
Ensuring team members have the resources, training and support they need equips them to succeed. When employees feel supported, they are more likely to trust their leadership and commit to the team’s goals.
10. Acknowledge and address unconscious bias.
Increasing awareness of unconscious biases and how they can impact interactions and decision-making by providing training for the team is a form of proactive inclusivity. Leaders can further the effort by engaging in self-reflection and encouraging team members to consider their own biases and how they might influence their behavior toward others.
The Impact Of Trust On Organizational Success
The benefits of a high-trust environment extend far beyond the confines of individual teams. Organizations characterized by trust tend to be more agile, as trust can facilitate faster decision-making and more efficient problem-solving.
Employees in high-trust organizations are more engaged, exhibit higher levels of innovation and are more likely to go above and beyond in their roles, contributing to overall organizational success. Research by Gallup shows "that when followers strongly agree that they trust their leaders, one in two are engaged; when followers don't find leaders trustworthy, only one in 12 are engaged."
Moreover, trust contributes to better employee retention rates. When talent is the critical asset, the ability to retain skilled employees gives organizations a competitive edge. Finally, trust is key in navigating change and uncertainty, enabling teams to adapt and thrive even in challenging circumstances.
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