How to Build Trust at work
The following are ways to create and preserve trusting relationships in a trust promoting work environment:
- Hire and promote people, who are capable of forming positive, trusting interpersonal relationshipswith people who report to them, to supervisory positions. The supervisor's relationship with reporting employees is the fundamental building block of trust.
- Develop the skills of all employees and especially those of current supervisors and people desiringpromotion, in interpersonal relationship building and effective interpersonal skills.
- Keep staff members truthfully informed.Provide as much information as you can comfortably divulge as soon as possible in any situation.
- Expect supervisors to act withintegrityand keep commitments.If you cannot keep a commitment, explain what is happening in the situation without delay. Current behavior and actions are perceived by employees as the basis for predicting future behavior. Supervisors who act as if they are worthy of trust will more likely be followed with fewer complaints.
- Confront hard issues in a timely fashion.If an employee has excessiveabsences or spends work time wandering around, it is important to confront the employee about these issues. Other employees will watch and trust you more.
- Protect the interest of all employees in a work group.Do not talk about absent employees, nor allow others to place blame, call names, or point fingers. Employees learn to trust when they know that their names are not being taken in vain.
- Display competence in supervisory and other work tasks.Know what you are talking about, and if you don’t know — admit it. Nothing builds trust more effectively than a manager saying that he doesn't know and will find out so that everyone is informed. The worst reaction occurs when a manager pretends to know and offers faulty information. Employees forgive a lack of knowledge - they never forgive a liar.
- Listen with respect and full attention.Exhibit empathy and sensitivity to the needs of staff members. Trust grows out ofthe belief that you understand and can relate.
- Take thoughtful risks to improve service and products for the customer.When you demonstrate that risk-taking is promoted, you demonstrate that employees may do the same - especially if there are no consequences when a thoughtfully considered risk goes awry. When consequences for risk-taking don't occur, trust is cemented.
- If you are a supervisor or a team member,set high expectations and act as if you believe staff members are capableof living up to them. This trust and support will draw forthyour employees'best efforts and their trust in return.
The Human Resources professional
has a special role in promoting trust. So do line managers. You coach managers
and supervisors about all of the appropriate roles described above in building
trust relationships. You also influence the power
differentials within the organization by developing and publishing supportive,
protective, honorable policies. You are influential in building appropriate
social norms among people who are doing different jobs in your organization.
Engage in trust building andteam building activitiesonly when there is a sincere desire in your organization to create a trusting, empowering, team-oriented work environment. Engaging in these activities for any but honorable reasons is a travesty and a sham. People will know the difference, or they will find out, and then, they will never trust you.
