Building trust in the workplace

You may be a skilful, effective employer but if you don’t trust your personnel and the opposite, then the chances of improving and expanding the business you deal with, are extremely limited.

It’s not critical for the employees to like the boss, but they have to trust him or her. If not, he won’t be able to lead them and the workers will have little motivation at work.

Truth and trust are connected. You could be honest for years, but one lie can destroy the trust you have built all this time and there is no doubt that regaining that trust is very difficult.

You have to be honest. Do not say “I don’t know” when you know. Be straight and say exactly what you have in mind. When you say “No” mean it. We have to realize that the workplace is not a popularity contest. Tasks need to be completed and work’s goals should be accomplished successfully.

Therefore, trying to be pleasant all the time will build obstacles to your job and disorientate you from your real goals at work.

Open your ears and accept criticism from employees or colleagues. It’s hard for every person to accept comments – especially negative – but to lead, you will have to. Always listen to other ideas, suggestions and encourage open discussions. That doesn’t mean, in case you are the manager, that you don’t decide according to your facts.

Demonstrate the trust. Just saying “I trust you” is not enough. You have to show it by assigning responsibilities and providing all the tools they need to succeed in the tasks you assign to them. When we say tools we mean training, information etc.

Recognize the well done job. People need to be appreciated, especially at work. When an employee is productive, and finishes the assignment successfully, show your appreciation directly. People need the approval to be in public and the negative comments in private. It’s in human nature, we can’t change it, and so it is important to follow that rule.

Recent research shows that workers do not care only about the money. They want to be educated at work, to take initiatives and also play a part in resolving problems that occur.

To sum it up, you have to do what you preach, and be clear with your actions. When you say “No” or “Yes” mean them, and of course, you have to give the example. If you enforce a rule at your company, but you are the only one who breaks it, don’t expect the rule to last for long. Trust will vanish, and leading your team will become an extremely difficult task.