TMA World Viewpoint 32: Behaviours that can develop and maintain trust in the workplace

Behaviours that can Develop and Maintain Trust in the Workplace

by Eugene Piccinini, Senior Learning Consultant

© Transnational Management Associates Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

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The best way to find out if you

can trust somebody is to trust them.

Ernest Hemingway

“

”


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If I were to identify the single most important ingredient for effective collaboration, I would say without hesitation, that it would be building and sustaining trust.


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Being able to trust someone and be trusted by someone is so critical that without it, you have nothing. At its most basic level, trust is the confidence people have that you will act in their best interest.


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Quite simply, you get out what you put in, because in order to get trust you need to give it. There really is no single action that will create trust. Trust is built over time by consistently exhibiting a number of behaviours and values.


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Say what you mean and

mean what

you say


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Regardless of whether you work

remotely or are co-located with

your team, if you adhere to these

golden rules, you’ll be assured of

forging and maintaining a great

collaborative relationship with your

co-workers.

So let’s take a deeper dive into

what these pillars of trust

encompass…


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Sincerity is the assessment that you are honest.

It’s about saying what you mean and meaning what you say so that

you can be believed and be taken seriously.

It also means that when you express an opinion, it is valid.

People will question your sincerity when you don’t act in accordance

with what you say.


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GOLDEN RULE 1: Building and Sustaining Trust through Sincerity

It’s very important to ensure that you are sincere in your transactions with fellow colleagues.

A lack of sincerity is a slap in the face to anyone on the receiving end of disingenuous behaviour. Being a sincere colleague will go a long way in adding credibility to what you say and do.

The evaluation of how sincere you are being is that you are telling the truth as you see it and that you actually mean what you say.

Giving people a reason to assess that you are sincere is called congruence.


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Internal congruence involves being honest with yourself and making sure you believe and are committed to what you are saying.

External congruence involves being honest and straightforward with others.

The evaluation of how sincere you are being is that you are telling the truth as you see it and that you actually mean what you say.


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So when focusing on

building and

sustaining trust

through sincerity,

consider the following

top tips for our first

golden rule

Be intentional about what you say to people

Be intentional about what you say when talking about your interests, beliefs and expectations

Check your internal congruence. Are you being honest with yourself, making sure you actually believe and are committed to what you are saying?

Are you being consistent, honest and straightforward with others? Is what you are saying now to your colleague consistent with what you said to them in the past? Check your external congruence


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GOLDEN RULE 2: Walk the talk

In additional to saying what you mean and meaning what you say, being able to build and sustain trust also involves walking the talk. This is our second golden rule.

People will immediately recognize when you advocate one value with your words but demonstrate the opposite of that value through your actions.

This will undermine your trustworthiness as a leader or co-worker. By always seeking to act in a manner consistent with your words you not only lead by example but you build trust.

Walking the talk comes down to reliability. It’s about meeting the commitments you make and keeping to your promises.


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And this, in itself, can provide challenges.

Indeed, a common problem with not being able to walk the talk is overpromising.

This will automatically set you up for failure so when walking the talk, think about how realistic it is to meet the expectations of that colleague who wants you to fulfil a request.


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Before responding to a request, make sure you’re in a position to fulfil it

Seek further clarification if you don’t fully understand a request. Any ambiguity may lead to a request not being correctly fulfilled

When offering to do something, be clear about what it is you will do and possibly what you won’t be doing


Consider the

following top tips,

our second golden

rule:


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GOLDEN RULE 3: Be accountable

Being accountable and demonstrating your accountability will go a long way to sustaining trust.

It can be particularly distasteful for many when accountability is not demonstrated.

To maintain the respect and trust of co-workers, don’t hesitate to own your mistakes.

Contact the affected parties as soon as possible to apologize and offer solutions for possible remedial actions.

Invite others to offer advice and provide you with their perspective on the situation.


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GOLDEN RULE 3: Be accountable

Here are some

tips for being

accountable,

our third golden

rule:

Stand up and be counted. If you have been responsible for a discrepancy, don’t be afraid to own it

Don’t deflect or minimize a problem you need to deal with

Be timely and don’t drag your feet, deal with an issue head on and in the most constructive way possible


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GOLDEN RULE 4: Actively listen

For our fourth golden rule, I’d ask you to reflect on your listening skills, because being a good listener can go a long way to building trust.

Taking the time to listen to understand the opinion of others demonstrates respect and acknowledges the other person’s perspective.

People invariably trust leaders who acknowledge their ideas and opinions.

Listening for understanding does not mean that you must agree with others, but it does require that you truly want to hear what others have to say and are open to their ideas.


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GOLDEN RULE 4: Actively listen

Consider these tips

to becoming a good

listener, our fourth

golden rule:

Don’t interrupt – avoid verbal collisions and allow your co-worker plenty of time to say what they need to say

Demonstrate that you’ve understood what has been said by paraphrasing – restating the main elements of what you have heard but by using different words. This reassures the other party that you are listening

If relevant, ask probing questions to demonstrate a genuine interest in the conversation you are having


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GOLDEN RULE 5: Foster a blame-free culture

Interacting with your co-workers openly and directly builds trust and commitment to the team.

If you are a leader, ensure you create an environment where people are not afraid to be honest and open.

As much as accountability is a critical element to building and sustaining trust, so is promoting an environment where if mistakes are made, no blame is apportioned.

People make mistakes.

An honest mistake needs to be addressed in an appropriate manner. Listen, work together to ensure there are lessons learned and provide coaching instead of admonishment.


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GOLDEN RULE 5: Foster a blame-free culture

For golden rule

number five,

think about the

environment you

work in.

Don’t rebuke

Look at the source of the problem and address in a constructive manner

Invite honesty and make sure your door is open


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Other top tips that will help you build and sustain trust

Meet face-to-face to build

relationships if you are

working remotely

Maintain a sense of presence

through frequent

communications and fast

responses

Work together to determine

the best way to handle

conflict on the team

Focus on establishing

relationships, and not just

assigning tasks

Recognize and celebrate the

achievements of the team

Promote a shared sense of

identity and belonging

Keep the whole project

visible to team members,

not just the part

Quickly demonstrate your

capabilities, your integrity

and your care for others


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Trust is the blood of teams –

the river that carries it along,

that pulses with life, that

brings thought and power to

everything the team attempts. Robbins and Finley Why Teams Don’t Work.

“ ”


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Trust is such an important thing that if you are a leader or a member of a team, you should spend time reflecting on what you do and what you should do in order to create and sustain trust.

By following our best practices, there really should be no excuses for being complacent about such an important component of effective collaboration.


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Above all we’d like to hear from you directly, so please don’t hesitate to send any comments, questions or feedback

to us at: [email protected]

Or visit our website:

www.tmaworld.com

About Us

Visit

www.tmaworld.com/insights

to discover the latest

thinking from our experts

on global, collaborative,

cross-cultural and virtual

working.

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.tmaworld.com/

http://www.youtube.com/user/TMAWorldVideos

http://www.linkedin.com/company/210855

http://www.slideshare.net/StevenParkinson

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TMA World Viewpoint 32: Behaviours that can develop and maintain trust in the workplace