When there is trust, team members are able to engage in unfiltered,
constructive debate of ideas.—Patrick Lencioni
How would you rate workplace trust within your organization? Are team members comfortable:
- Admitting and owning weaknesses and mistakes?
- Asking for help?
- Offering and accepting apologies without hesitation?
- Sharing their knowledge to help others grow?
- Supporting shared goals where the team will be recognized as a team, rather than as individuals?
Trust issues continually score high as a “need” for individuals, teams, and organizations. This pertains to relationships with colleagues, peers, and bosses, and can also apply to strategic partners and vendors.
Why do you think that is? Common responses include:
- What’s in it for me to be vulnerable?
- If I share my knowledge, I won’t have a “leg up” on others.
- I prefer to work solo rather than in a collaborative mode.
- It’s intimidating to speak up and I’m adverse to conflict
Below are some tips for increasing workplace trust:
- Assess whether there are any reasons others may not trust you. Work on them!
- Do you consistently display the behaviors you wish to see in others?
- How is your current work culture? What changes could be made to make it stronger?
- Select a highly trusted leader; identify the behaviors you feel make then successful and add them to your “tool-belt”.
- ASK your team for their ideas about improving trust.
- Listen and be responsive! Author Patrick Lencioni says “Transparency, honesty, and vulnerability are the key ingredients required for a team to be trusting and truly cohesive”.
What actions can you implement to improve workplace trust?
One of the most valuable things you can do to create higher levels of trust is to trust others more. Don’t wait for them to prove themselves to you. Trust them.– K. Eikenberry