Trust is confidence one has in another person’s integrity and strength. With trust, an individual is willing to take risk. Without trust, one would act in his own interest with little desire to expose himself to any potential harm. A workplace with trust fosters high performance across the organization. Hence, business leaders need to create a culture of trust.
Companies benefit from a high trust culture.
Open communication
Open communication enables employees share frank observations without the fear of reprimand. They trust that by being honest about their thoughts, what they said would not be used against them.
On the contrary, employees tend to sweep problems under the rug when there is little trust. They don’t want to be perceived as negative or critical of others. This creates a mediocre culture.
In addition, issues accumulated over time could turn into major problems that have significant impact on the customers and the business. The resources required correct course then could be costly.
Better collaboration
When team members have trust in each other, they are willing to share information and expertise. They are prepared to help. They don’t hesitate to alert colleagues about issues that cross their paths. They are ready to work together in developing solutions.
With better collaboration, you have a cohort of self-directed employees who are ready to act collectively in the best interest of the business.
Without trust, individuals look out for themselves. They focus on earning credits for their own work and are unwilling to share their knowledge.
Engaged employees
A high trust culture fosters positive morale, which builds employee engagement. Engaged employees are committed and loyal. They are happy, productive and proud of their work.
When employees trust that leaders are supportive of their work and team members are collaborative, they are prepared to step up and take ownership of their work. Self-motivated employees lead to progressive growth at both the personal and professional levels.
When there is a lack of trust, employees feel guarded and stressed. Low employee engagement leads to higher voluntary resignations.
Better conflict resolution
Conflicts are inevitable. Conflict resolution could be handled quickly when there is trust between the parties involved. They are more willing to listen, give a little and open to reach an amicable agreement.
The situation could become confrontational when there is little trust. Feeling the other party would take advantage of them, both parties are unwilling to budge and hold firm in their respective positions. Working relationships would be hammered.
With a foundation of trust, conflicts would be handled with a more objective mindset.
Receptive to change
Changes such as organizational restructure and operational transformation often trigger realignment of job roles and responsibilities. Business leaders normally face resistance to change. The situation can be testing.
When there is trust in the leaders, employees feel change is for the better and it would work out in the end. Instead of rejecting change right off the bat, employees are more receptive to it.
With proper change management, leaders would be able to get employees on side.
A high trust culture creates a happier workplace. Good will and camaraderie among employees result in better teamwork and hence, high performance. Employees are willing to put themselves on the line to move forward. Trust is earned through actions. Share on X
Trust is earned through actions. As a result, leaders need to actively build trust by acting fairly, providing transparency on decision-making, listening to feedback, walking their talk, and showing respect and humility to employees. It requires consistent efforts to build over time.
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