6 Habits Of Trustworthy Leaders
The people in your
office may not trust you as much as you think they do. Here's how to win them
over.
Do the people in your office trust
you? Maybe not as much as you
think they do.
Consulting firm EY released
its Global Generations 3.0 research
which found that less than half of full-time workers between the ages of 19 and
68 place a "great deal of trust" in their employer, boss, or
colleagues. Another recent survey from Globoforce’s WorkHuman Research Institute found that 80%
of employees trust their colleagues, but only 65% trust senior leaders in their
companies.
That’s a problem. EY’s research also found that low levels of
trust majorly influences employees to look for another job (42%), work the
minimum number of hours required (30%), and be less engaged and productive
(28%).
Earning the trust of your team has
real bottom-line benefits, says Dennis Reina, cofounder of Reina, a trust-building consultancy and author of Rebuilding Trust in the
Workplace: Seven Steps to Renew Confidence, Commitment and Energy. He points to
one of his clients: an airline with a troubled operations team. Lack of trust,
marked by infighting and poor communication, was making the team ineffective.
In a year, Reina’s team raised the level of trust in the department by 51
points, according to a post-test they did. The department saved $1 million in
strategic planning costs because they were able to work well together and cut
the planning time down to one-third of previous requirements, he says.
There are a number of simple, straightforward actions that build
trust, Reina says. Here are six simple tactics that work.
Few actions ruin your trustworthiness faster than breaking your
word, Reina says. Doing what you say you’re going to do reinforces the
perception of your character. If circumstances change and you’re unable to do
so, explain why with as much detail and context as possible so all parties
understand the reason for the change. When you’re consistent with your word,
people know they can depend on you.
Leaders are often counseled to give
specific direction and communicate clearly, but context is also important,
Reina says. When people understand why you’re asking them to take on a
difficult challenge or a task they’d rather not do, help them understand the
importance of what you’re asking. Seeing how their role fits into a bigger
picture and is valued helps them understand and trust the organizational
vision, which can help foster greater trust in both the company and its
leaders. Plus, transparent cultures are
good for business.
When you’re interacting with your
team members, pay attention and focus on the conversations and dynamics, says
Tara A. Goodfellow, managing director of Athena Educational Consultants, Inc. Listen to what matters to
your employees and let them know that you are actually hearing and considering
what they’re saying. If you’re distracted or unfocused, you risk making them
feel like you’re insincere, which will erode trust.
"If you don’t get to know your employees and what motivates
them, it’s really hard to build that trust," she says.
Leaders and organizations that welcome varied input and feedback
are more trustworthy. The EY study found that 38% of respondents say that a
diverse environment is a "very important" determinant of trust. In
this context, diverse environment means that it "strives to recruit,
retain, and promote diverse people with all differences including gender,
country of origin, and thinking style," according to the survey results.
You’re going to make mistakes and
there are going to be things you don’t know, so ask questions, admit when
you’re wrong, and, when appropriate, make amends, says Timothy G. Wiedman, a former corporate manager and
associate professor of management and human resources at Doane University. By
showing a measure of vulnerability and willingness to admit when you’re wrong
or need help shows that you’re human and helps people more easily relate to
you, he says.
"A question that should have been asked—but wasn't—may have
catastrophic consequences that will not soon be forgotten," he says. But
when people know that you’re willing to get the answers you need instead of
faking it, they’ll trust you more, he says.
Employees will trust you most when they feel you’re looking out
for them, Reina says. Encourage feedback—even when it’s difficult to hear—and
create an environment where they feel secure. When they are having challenges
at work, provide the support, training, or resources they need to improve. And
if they’re facing an unfair or otherwise disruptive situation, go to bat for
them to make it right.
"People are forgiving if they know that their leaders—particularly
their senior leaders—are trying," he says. "If they know that their
senior leaders are being straight with them and they have [the employees’] as
well as the company's best interest in mind, they’re more likely to
trust."
GWEN MORAN
https://www.fastcompany.com/3063754/work-smart/6-habits-of-trustworthy-leaders
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