Build Trust One Brick at a Time
Blog from Tracy Butz of Think Impact Solutions
When trust exists in an organization or in a relationship, almost everything else is easier and more comfortable to achieve. Trust even forms the foundation for effective communication, employee retention, and employee motivation and contribution of discretionary energy, the extra effort that people voluntarily invest in work. So why is it that something so important, appears to be lacking in organizations today?
In 2010, Maritz Research conducted a poll to better understand U.S. employees’ attitudes toward their employers. The poll found that employees across all industries cite a lack of trust in not only their senior leaders, but also in their direct managers and colleagues. Only 11 percent of employees strongly agree that their managers show consistency in their words and actions. Further, only 7 percent of employees strongly agree they trust senior leaders to look out for their best interests, and only 7 percent strongly agree they trust their co-workers to do so. Obviously, these percentages need to change, but how?
I have found that for employees to trust their bosses either initially or after trust has been betrayed, supervisors must add frequent emotional deposits to the employee’s bank account. Deposits may vary, yet they should occur often. The supervisor needs to establish or re-establish a track record of using fair practices, following through on promises, setting clear expectations, providing frequent and timely feedback, and ensuring communication is open and honest.
As an employee starts to see greater transparency and begins the process of trust, or decides to once again try trusting the supervisor, trust hopefully will gradually become more apparent. In cases of workplace betrayal between a supervisor and a direct report, time is definitely a key component that is necessary in the healing process. But in addition to time, the supervisor must also demonstrate qualities of integrity, strength and confidence before trust will begin to build back. Essentially, trust is about character and is built with many small actions over time. It’s kind of like building a foundation, one brick at a time.
I once read that respect is like air; you don’t really pay attention to it until it is in question or no longer there. I think trust is much the same; when you have it with someone, it seems like it is a given. However, when it becomes strained or it’s lost, it becomes a difficult hurdle to overcome. Trust issues may be tough to work through, but as with all obstacles, it is in times of adversity when we learn the most.
Every Person Can Make a Positive Difference to a Culture
Blog from Tracy Butz of Think Impact Solutions
We often spend more time at work than we do at home with our families. So if you feel that the culture around you is starting to diminish, it’s up to each person to take the lead and reshape it into a place we do enjoy. We each can take ownership of those aspects with which we do have control. Some ways we can all positively contribute to creating a culture that is welcoming, pleasant and fun includes:
- Check out your own behavior. Are you a person you’d like to work with? If you aren’t, then hone a better attitude, and fix what needs fixing.
- Focus on what’s right, not what’s wrong. Nothing or no one person is perfect. If you believe it, you can see it. Pick out things that are working, and showcase people who are making a difference.
- Remind yourself of why you go to work. Remember, you’re there to do a job and to accomplish a goal. Attend to the results you’re seeking, and let the small irritating stuff go.
- Hang out with the winners. Avoid the ‘Debbie Downers,’ the ‘Peter Pessimistics,’ and the ‘Greta Gossips.’ They’ll only drag you down to their level.
- Candidly confront when needed. Avoid getting angry and raising your voice. Start with stating facts, explain your interpretation of those facts, share how you feel, and then say how this led to you deciding to chat with this person about this issue.
- Recognize, compliment, and reward those who make a difference. Set the tone and showcase the behaviors that you want repeated. Stop reinforcing the bad, and start acknowledging the good, better, and best.
- Project a positive and confident professional image. Putting your best professional image forward is critical to your success. Image comes in many forms, like poise, language use, tactfulness, attitude, responsiveness, dress/attire, organizational skills, etc.
- Balance work and pleasure. If most of your life revolves around your workplace, it is easy to see why you may not be able to relax and keep tasks separate. You need variety and good balance. Find a hobby, make friends with people both inside and outside your company, give yourself a break. You’ll come back to work more relaxed, have greater energy, and be able to enhance your productivity.
- Analyze things when they go wrong and right. Know what works and what doesn’t. Continue to enhance your processes and people skills. It makes no sense to keep repeating mistakes. Learn from them and move on.
- Continue to grow. Take classes, expand your network, join a professional association, get certified in your field, read applicable journals/periodicals, follow the latest trends, and stay ahead of the curve.
- Know that change is inevitable. Embrace change and make it work for you, not against you. No one is totally in charge, but knowing what you have control over and letting go of those things you can’t control, is a healthy way to view change.
