A successful company is built on trust. This is an essential factor to encourage engagement, productivity, and collaboration between your employees. Entrepreneurs and managers must build trust in the workplace to foster work relationships.
A study shows that companies that revolve around trust contribute to 106 percent more energy, 74 percent less stress, 76 percent more engagement, 40 percent less burnout, and 29 percent more employee satisfaction. So if you’re dying to build trust in your company, try these six ways:
1. Be honest
Honesty must be part and parcel of your company. Make honestly a part of your company culture and instill this early on in the onboarding process. This way, your employees will make this a habit in their daily work routine.
As a leader, it’s also essential to be honest with yourself and your employees. Encourage transparency and always tell the truth regardless of how small the matter is. Being open and telling the truth will undoubtedly build credibility in the long run.
2. Provide support
Providing support is what every team wants from their first-line supervisors. Teams have no one to turn to except for their managers when they’re having a difficult time at work. For instance, if one of your employees is struggling with his workload, be there to offer help. However, avoid doing the work for them.
Instead, you can offer to provide a system that makes the work process faster. Better yet, go the extra mile by completing small, mundane tasks that you can do yourself instead of passing them onto your employees. Your colleagues will appreciate the support you give and will reciprocate this when the time comes.
3. Be a man of your word
Never break promises. Also, when you say you’re going to do something, then make no mistake of missing it. Always follow through when you say you’re going to perform a task or two. This way, your colleagues or employees will look up to you and trust you whenever they’re handing a task over to you.
Being a man of your word also builds confidence among your colleagues. This tells them that you’re professional enough to walk the talk.
4. Listen intently
Don’t just try to listen, but listen intently every time your colleagues or employees have something to say. This will not only foster communication at work, but it will also build trust by being the go-to person whenever they’re having trouble with something.
Whether they want to share their personal or work issues, always listen intently. If they need to take a break, let them. Advise if necessary and remember to keep it confidential if the other person requires you to.
5. Don’t blame others
As a leader, blaming others is a no-no when you want to build trust in the workplace. Always admit your failures as well as your employee’s. If you’re constantly blaming others for issues that could’ve been resolved as a team, you’ll lose your integrity as a leader. Also, your members will not trust you because they won’t know what you’ll be saying behind their backs.
For example, if one of your team members had delayed projects, then you can admit that you haven’t been giving enough support and encouragement to finish the task at hand. Overall, admitting failures can gain more affinity from your subordinates.
6. Be a role model
How can you build trust if you’re not even practicing it in the first place? Leaders must always be good role models to their subordinates. This way, you can channel the suitable characteristic that will resonate with your entire team.
Always practice what you preach so your colleagues or employees will have high regard for you. Otherwise, you’ll be one of those leaders who never follow through with anything they say.
