Trust is the bedrock of how we interact with others – whether that is at work or in our personal lives. Building trust in a team translates into an increase in productivity, more energy, less stress fewer sick days, and lower rates of burnout – all crucial elements when it comes to forming a healthy, efficient, and stable team. Knowing that you can trust those around you – and that they can trust you in return allows you to be free enough to try new things, innovate, and create new ways of approaching problems – all of which pushes your team forward in the same direction.Â
In hierarchical teams, leaders simply expect trust as a byproduct of the position that they are in, and those further down the chain of command are expected to work night and day to build up enough capital that those at the top trust them in return. This transactional form of leadership just doesn’t work in a modern workplace, we need to flip the narrative and look at a transformational approach which sees leaders starting from a point of trust in the people in their team, and working hard to gain it in return.
Our emotions and behaviors change when we build trust with the people around us, it affects our brain chemistry, and it is up to leaders to adopt strategies to build cultures that allow people to develop this growth mentality if we want our business to be resilient to future storms and attract the best talent in the industry. So, how do you start to build a culture of trust within your team or organisation?
Be presentÂ
Get rid of distractions, don’t text or send emails while you are having a conversation, look your colleague in the eye, and listen with an intent to understand, rather than an intent to respond right away. Also, think about the environment that is most likely to put your colleague at ease (it is probably not your office). Ask questions that show you are interested in what they are saying and don’t ignore non-verbal cues like them looking excited about a project or nervous about what they are about to tell you.
Show empathy
According to neuroscientist Paul Zak, having a caring habit and showing empathy is the highest of all behaviours to increase oxytocin (the hormone released in the brain that is primarily responsible for forming bonding relationships) and build trust) and build trust. If you do nothing else, actively listening and investing in positive relationships is a great starting point to build those relationships that will help both you and your team flourish.
Empower your teamÂ
When people feel safe and supported, empowering them leads to great things. Show your team that you trust them to do the big things, and explain to them that while you will always have their back, they have shown you that they are more than capable of managing this piece of work on their own.
Communicate Â
By combining a show of trust, like above, with an explanation of why you are making that decision, you support the person and do not leave them feeling professionally vulnerable, while at the same time boosting their confidence and building a real connection by telling them, “you’ve got this, but you know where I am if you need me”.
Address stress
People who are stressed simply can’t be trusting. When we experience negative stress we produce cortisol – the body’s primary stress chemical, leading to the fight, flight or freeze response. When we are stressed, we do not trust and our brain instinctively knows that we need to get as far away from that person or situation as possible to survive. Although the sakes might not be as high as life or death in a workplace rife with negative stress, our brains will produce cortisol, which blocks the production of oxytocin and leads to a person being in a sense of high alert and mistrust.
Ultimately, we need to commit to building environments that celebrate when we succeed, but that also give team members the space to be honest with leaders when they are struggling, or something hasn’t gone to plan. Invest in building a strong culture and you’ll give your team the tools to come back in tomorrow and feel empowered and positive to take on the challenge again tomorrow.
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