Trust is often touted as the foundation of any relationship, and when it comes to manager and employee relations, developing trust and respect in the workplace deserves extra attention.
Believe it or not, trust in employers isn’t an inherent feeling amongst colleagues. Studies have found that under 50% of people trust their organization. Those aren’t great odds! With trust being the backbone of long-term, successful relationships, mastering how to build trust in the workplace will help employees not only feel safe but simultaneously committed to and grateful for the organization they work for.
Creating a trusting work environment is a completely doable task, and with these six tips, our team at Trust Well Network can help managers foster trust in the workplace with their employees.
What Are the Benefits of Developing Trust and Respect in the Workplace?
Developing and maintaining trust in the workplace offers a lot of benefits to both managers and employees, creating a positive environment for people to work - and who doesn’t want that?
So, what are the benefits of improving trust in the workplace? With a value of trust in the workplace, your office will not only feel fair, fostering a culture where everyone can succeed on a level playing field, but it makes employees feel as though they are being treated with respect. By clearly displaying that you trust employees to make their own decisions while completing tasks properly, you give them the autonomy to succeed without feeling as though their manager is keeping a watchful eye - something that creates tension and, ultimately, distrust.
Additionally, in creating trust, you foster a sense of collaboration and pride as employees feel valued and recognized within the company. All of this goes to create a positive mindset at your office, which leads to more productive, happy workdays.
How to Build Trust Among Employees
Not sure how to build trust within an organization? We are sharing six ways to build trust with employees that are sure to help boost your work environment. Keep reading for more!
#1. Learn About Your Team
To build trust with your team, you must first work to understand them. In taking the time to understand your team, their personalities, what motivates them, what they think, and so on, you gain critical knowledge that can help you effectively manage them and foster that foundation of trust.
Depending on the size of your team, this task of learning about them may be quite the challenge - but it doesn’t have to be. With a comprehensive assessment tool, you can take the hassle and hours out of learning about your employees to truly understand their strengths and motivations with in-depth, valuable insights.
We recommend opting for an assessment tool like the Core Motivation Analysis because:
- It pinpoints peoples’ motivations
- Understands unique thinking and behavior styles
- Provides an inside look at personalities and preferences that may not be otherwise obvious, particularly with newer employees
- Aggregates results that make an action plan more clear and directed
When developing and maintaining trust in the workplace, the Core Motivation Analysis provides all the insights you need to understand your employees, working with a specific knowledge base to build trust more effectively. With a 66-question, 12 minute assessment, the CMA will help you make decisions based on your employee’s preferences, catering to their needs to foster a value of trust in the workplace. Forget trial and error, it’s time for informed decisions!
#2. Take an Interest in What Matter for Your Employees
Not sure where to begin when creating a climate of trust in the workplace? Ask! Yes, this obvious answer is often overlooked, but it’s an effective strategy. Ask your employees what’s most important to them when it comes to trust at work, inquiring about how they prefer to be praised for their work, about their communication preferences, and how they most like to receive constructive feedback.
By asking employees what management style they prefer in regards to trust, you inherently build that trust as you show that you care about employees’ thoughts and feelings to truly cater to their needs.
#3. Give Credit to Your Team Members
Give credit where credit is due! As a manager, you may be the leader of a task or project, but you didn’t do all the work. Recognize this by acknowledging the work of your team to higher-ups, showing your appreciation for the hard work your team did, and instilling that they do get individualized recognition for their contributions. This not only shows your appreciation but works towards maintaining trust in the workplace as you recognize the unique role each person plays in achieving a team or organization’s goal.
#4. Show Your Team You Are a Fearless Leader
An insecure leader instantly hinders a climate of trust in the workplace. When an insecure manager handles a mistake, their team can instantly come under fire, creating a sense of fear and tension as individuals worry they will take on criticism.
For this reason, managers must foster a fear-free environment. With this method, their team isn’t punished for making their manager look bad, setting ego aside to understand why a team member may have struggled in a particular moment and providing proper feedback. It’s about learning from failure and struggles, not berating people.
#5. Be Honest and Transparent
A big part of trust is honesty. To instill a value of trust in the workplace, being honest with employees and transparent about your expectations is essential to fostering that safe space. This honesty comes into play in many ways - from setting clear expectations and guidelines to communicating openly with feedback and setting a commonly understood end goal that everyone is working towards.
With honesty and transparency, managers remove the guessing game out of their employee relationships, effectively and kindly communicating when they’ve done good work or providing constructive feedback in the case it’s not quite up to par.
#6. Treat Your Teammates with Respect
Above all else, creating a trusting work environment relies on mutual respect.
Respect comes in many forms in the workplace. From acknowledging accomplishments to kindly and effectively communicating when work could be improved, managers must recognize that while they may be the leaders of the team, those below them still deserve their respect and care.
Respect is something that can be practiced daily by managers. This includes actively, carefully listening to your employees, asking them about their workload when sending new tasks, making eye contact, and recognizing your missteps. Respect is a daily practice that deserves extra attention.
We’ve Got You Covered
Now that you understand the importance of trust in the workplace, how to build trust among employees, and your role as a manager in fostering in this environment, it’s time to start building that foundation of trust and understanding!
To effectively foster a value of trust in the workplace, you must first understand your employees and how this trust is best conveyed to them. The best way to do this is with the Core Motivation Analysis - an effective assessment tool that provides the in-depth analysis all managers need to effectively lead their team and create a sense of trust and productivity in the workplace. In just 10 minutes, you can garner a whole host of insights into your team’s behaviors and thinking styles, effectively adjusting your trust-building techniques to meet their needs and preferences - saving you a lot of time and errors in the long run.
People strive when successful; we at Trust Well Network help create that possibility, so Talk to us!
