Trust in the workplace is critical to success as it means that your employees enjoy a culture of safety, trust and mutual respect. They are proud of the organisation they work for and the job they do, meaning they will be willing to go above and beyond for your business.
Trust not only builds employee engagement and loyalty, but also encourages productivity. This leads to higher quality work and better results.
Trust is the building block to fostering a strong team culture. When trust is present, staff become more accountable. Only with trust in the workplace will changes take place and the company will move forward.
In today’s world, building trust in the workplace is necessary to cultivate the goals and objectives of your business. Keep reading to find out how to best build trust in the workplace.
Be honest and transparent
The foundation of every relationship, professional or otherwise, is based on honesty. It is without a doubt that telling the truth can be difficult at times. It may be easier to tell a white lie to your employees, especially during tough times. However, being honest during such times (while also being sensitive to their feelings) can foster trust. Honesty will encourage your employees to work together to overcome obstacles.
It is also important to be transparent when discussing changes to the business processes so that your employees are in the loop. As a manager or owner, you have a responsibility to communicate with your employees directly and openly. You have the ability to model the behaviour and bring forth the messages that keep your employees informed.
By being honest with your employees on your company’s goals and objectives, they will be able to visualise the future and growth of your business and their role within it. The more they know about the organisation’s plans, priorities and challenges, the more they will trust your leadership and the team.
Seek and act on feedback
It is important that your employees are heard and feel that their voice matters. As a manager or owner, you can build trust by being the bridge between your employees and higher management. This may be through collating feedback, and acting on it.
You may wish to search for a way to gather feedback from your employees in a method that they prefer, such as an open feedback channel where they can share their thoughts at any time. It helps to utilise a feedback solution supported by experts to provide targeted survey questions and then identify specific needs which can be used to improve your business.
Along the way, you should be communicating with your team the findings, and the next course of action your business is planning to undertake.
Most importantly, follow through with your action plan. When your employees are able to see the tangible results of their feedback, their trust in the organisation will grow. When leaders and management show swift receptiveness and action, it will communicate trust, empathy and respect to employees.
Empower your employees by trusting them first
By taking the first step and showing your employees that you trust them, they will be more likely to trust you as well. Empower your employees by encouraging them to take ownership of their work and provide support and advice on how they can improve.
This may include inviting them to sit in on meetings they would not normally attend. You may benefit from their unique perspective, and employees will remember the trust you showed in them.
Micromanagement often causes employees to feel like you do not trust them. You may wish to try a different approach — macromanaging. This demonstrates to your employees that you believe in their expertise and work. Support your employees on the sidelines, and be available to provide advice when they reach out.
Recognise when mistakes are made
While it is sometimes hard to admit your own faults, acknowledging your mistakes also boils down to honesty and transparency.
Being accountable is part of being a great leader. Employees will feel closer to you, and trust that the work environment is a safe space to make mistakes and to learn from it.
When you admit your mistakes, employees will empathise with you and can even provide support and solutions. This may foster trust in the workplace and make the work environment more welcome for everyone.
Create an inclusive culture
Company culture is the common values, qualities, and traits of an organisation. It is easily observed from how employees interact with each other, the values they share and the actions they undertake.
A great company culture will likely lead to stellar performance from motivated employees and a gratifying environment to work in. While it is important to have a unique and fun culture, it should embody attributes such as appreciation, resilience, and a strong collaborative spirit. It is important that the company culture feels authentic and genuine.
It is crucial to build an inclusive culture that accepts and treasures the strengths of all your employees. Pursue initiatives that focus on equal rights and benefits, workplace accessibility, and invest in diversity. This not only cultivates an open and safe culture, but will also boost productivity and creativity.
Value your employees
In the corporate world, it is easy to be caught up in the targets to hit, KPIs to achieve and goals to accomplish.
As a manager or owner, it is important to remember that your employees are hardworking people doing their best for the organisation. You do not need to cater to your employees’ every wish, but you should be conscious of maintaining a positive and healthy work environment.
This can be reflected in making decisions based on your employees’ wellbeing, rather than only profit margins and “operational efficiency.” You may wish to create a wellness system to care for your team.
If you are able to show your employees that you notice their strengths, it will inculcate valuable trust in the workplace.
In conclusion
Every professional relationship is built on trust and confidence. As a team, you have to rely on each other to tackle various tasks and help one another when needed.
As a manager or business owner, you can maintain a culture of trust within your workplace in every action you take and interaction you have. Essentially, the success or failure of your team boils down to your ability to trust one another. All other factors such as productivity, communication, commitment and respect are influenced by mutual trust. By building trust in the workplace, you set your business up for success.
“The opinions expressed by BizWitty Contributors are their own, not those of BizCover and should not be relied upon in place of appropriate professional advice. Please read our full disclaimer."
