Trust. It’s a word that is bandied about in all leadership and management discussions.
What is trust exactly? Merriam-Webster defines trust as “assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something.” To trust someone means you can rely on them, they will do what they say they will do, they will not lie to you, and you can count on them to support you. That is what we all want in a boss, right?
When employees do not feel their boss is trustworthy, they will be less engaged, feel less loyalty, and not put in extra discretionary effort.
What can be done to gain the trust of an employee?
1. Trust them first. Trust gets trust. It’s an ironic thing that someone that doesn’t trust typically is seen as untrustworthy themselves. Take some chances and trust employees to do a good job, to meet the deadlines, and to do what they say they will do.
2. Respond to emails. A manager who doesn’t respond promptly to emails is saying to the employee that they are not important. There have been a few studies documenting a boss’s delayed response to emails is a top reason employees don’t trust their boss.
3. Lead with honesty, integrity, and transparency. Be a good example and show the behavior you want from your employees. The leader’s values and behaviors flow down to the employees.
4. Admit your mistakes and apologize. If you make a mistake, please apologize! People will trust you more if you are willing to admit you made a mistake. It shows you are transparent, humble, and honest.
5. Pretending you have the answers when you don’t, erodes trust. Please don’t fake knowing an answer. Your employees will know! It will make you seem untrustworthy and, quite frankly, arrogant and fragile. Saying “you don’t know” helps others to be empowered to find the answer, give you the answer, or understand why it is taking you longer to give them the answer. It also makes you seem sincere, genuine, and trustworthy.
6. Listen and make changes based on their feedback. When employees see you are willing to make changes, especially based on their feedback, it will build trust that you have their best interest at heart and will listen and act on their concerns.
7. Support their learning and career. If you put your faith in your employees to help build their career, they will in turn give you trust. Again, trust your employees first by providing career opportunities and they will trust you back.
8. Understand their challenges. Listen to your employees to understand their day-to-day activities. This is not so you can micro-manage the employee or do their job, but to learn their roadblocks, their time-consuming processes, their difficult customers, and where their frustrations occur.
9. Help to remove roadblocks. Once you understand the challenges and roadblocks, work to remove them. Sometimes there are small changes that can make a huge difference to employees’ day to day activities.
10. Don’t play favorites. Treating employees differently undermines the trust the “non-favorites” have in you. They won’t trust you will support them, help them with their career, or give them a favorable performance review.
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