Trust in the workplace is the bedrock for building strong teams, creating a positive work environment, and producing the best results. The ability to motivate your employees is built entirely on trust. Employees who trust their colleagues and their leader are more likely to be open, honest, compassionate, collaborative, and encouraging. All of which improve innovation and productivity. When there is trust in the workplace, it becomes more enjoyable and motivated to work with them. The employees must believe in you and have confidence in your decisions, so they can perform their best. The employees are more likely to be committed to reaching their peak potential while having trust in the workplace.
There are simple ways of building trust you make the team comfortable with you, they can rely on you, feel confident in your abilities and intentions, and feel motivated to work with you. When the team trusts each other, they are more likely to work together on projects for the benefit of the organization and enjoy doing so. Trustful workplace culture is developed through values, hard work, and strong teamwork. Teamwork increases productivity too, so having trust in the workplace can also make the organization successful.
9 most effective ways to build trust in the workplace
1. Be honest and supportive
The team members should know that you will be honest with them all the time. Even when the times get tough, they need to know that you will give them the facts and help them get through it. At the same time, you also need to be sensitive to their feelings and be constructive in your criticism.
2. Don’t be a micromanager
When the team leader should not micromanage the decisions and workflow of the team members. Because if team leaders do so, the team members don’t feel inspired to take initiative and they may start believing that their leader doesn’t trust them to do the right thing on their own.
To avoid the negative effects of micromanaging, you need to let your employees take ownership of their responsibilities. You can set some boundaries for them without making them feel controlled by you.
3. Address the problems
An employee’s loyalty is based on how much they trust their boss. When work problems arise, the most important factor in establishing trust and reducing turnover is for a supervisor to respond positively. Most bosses don’t do this, though—three-quarters of employees state their leader does not consistently respond to work issues in a constructive way.
4. Live your values
People learn about an organization’s culture by watching the behavior of its management. Therefore, you should work hard to be a good role model. Give credit where due and be appreciative of what your team members do for you, this will help build trust and loyalty in your team. By setting a good example, you can help employees learn what it means to work well as a team.
5. One Step Ahead
Building trust in the workplace is about more than following a checklist—it’s about being yourself and acting as a team player. Trust is built by acting like an honest, trustworthy person and by supporting your colleagues when they are present and when they are not. If you talk about other employees behind their backs, other employees will naturally be afraid that you could do the same thing to them. One way to build trust within a team is by being respectful of each of its members and by ensuring that every action you take supports your image as a dedicated, hardworking team leader.
6. Competency is crucial
As a team leader, your team members are not only looking to you for support and encouragement but also as a source of guidance. Your leadership position often means you are perceived as the person with the most experience and knowledge, which makes it vital that you demonstrate those skills and abilities in the workplace.
7. Sharing information is essential
Sharing information is important for many reasons, not the least of which is that it encourages a sense of teamwork. It also gives your employees an opportunity to get to know you better as their manager. Sharing data helps you establish credibility with your team members.
8. Pay Attention to Body Language
You can know whether someone is genuinely listening to you by observing their body language. Avoiding eye contact and crossing your arms may make you seem shifty, uncomfortable, or dishonest. Staying engaged in the conversation by leaning towards the speaker and making eye contact may make it easier for employees to approach you with issues or concerns.
9. Be reliable
Keeping your word is one of the most effective ways to build trust. If you tell someone that you will do something—finish a report, read a memo—then you should follow through on that promise. People respect your honesty and integrity if you can admit when you can’t keep a promise. People will view you as a person that is dependable and trustworthy when you follow through with your promises.