Trust in the Workplace.

What you do to build it!

Trust in the workplace or in life does depend upon history - if you have been disappointed on a number of occasions by the quality of information provided to you by your Leader, you will be less trusting of the information s/he provides to you in the future.

Trust also, at times, requires a leap of faith - every time you drive your car you take a leap of faith and believe the other drivers will obey that little white line and stick to their side of the road.

It is your responsibility, as the Leader of your team, to build a history of trust in the workplace so that you minimize the distance your team members need to "leap" in faith.

Creating high levels of trust doesn't just happen. It is an intentional and deliberate process that involves planning and dedicated implementation.

Let's now take an extended look at the five elements that build trust in the workplace:

Do You Believe In Yourself?

A recurring theme with many people I work with is their lack of belief in themself. At some level, most people simply don't feel they are good enough. Unfortunately, this causes people to behave in ways that at times doesn't seem logical. In fact people take, at times, almost the antithesis actions required for success. Certainly, when the "I'm not really good enough" mantra gets going it causes others to be turned off.

Do You Care?

People want to know that they are important to you. The question rattling around inside is something along the lines of: "Do you care about my success as well as your own?" Before people extend trust in the workplace or to another person they will want to be very certain that the other person has their best interests at heart.

People are unlikely to trust you if they believe you will sell them up the river for your own success. This was certainly what had happened with Jim. People didn't feel that Jim cared about them as individuals. They believed that if something went wrong, then Jim would work hard to come out smelling like roses whilst letting the people in his team take the flak for any mistakes.

People want to know that if something goes wrong will you go into bat for them. Or when things are going well, that their efforts and successes are recognized. They want to know that you care enough about them that you take the time to ensure that they are being directed to work that engages and inspires them and enables them to make best use of their strengths.

If I was sitting next to you right now, one of the first questions I would ask you is "Tell me the goals, hopes and dreams of each the people who work with you. What is it that they love to do?" You answers to these questions will very quickly tell me just how much you care about the people who report to you and it will definitely indicate to me what degree of trust in the workplace you are building .

Are You Reliable?

This is possibly one of the greatest causes of lack of trust in the workplace. The question people have rattling around inside themselves when they decide whether or not to trust you is: "Is your word your honour?"

When you first start building trust with others, start by making small agreements, keep them, then make larger agreements - this is known as under-promise and over-deliver.

Never make an agreement that you don't fully intend to keep, no matter how small. If you say you are going to get back to someone by 2.00 pm on Friday, then that is what you do. Communicate at once if you cannot keep an agreement and clean up broken agreements immediately. It is your reliability by which people will judge how far to extend their trust in the workplace.

People need to feel that their Leader is committed to his/her own personal espoused principles and values and the principles and values of the organization. Your integrity is critical in building and sustaining an environment of high trust - so your actions must reflect your rhetoric.

In other words:

• Do you walk your talk?
• Does every action you take build trust in the workplace?
• Do you never gossip?
• Do you always keep your promises?
• Can you be relied upon so that what you say and what you do and what you say about what you did are always aligned?

Are You Competent?

You can believe in yourself, you can have achieved great results in the past, you may have incredibly good intent and people trust that you care, but if you just aren't capable in today's rapidly changing world then you simply aren't relevant ... and you certainly won't attain the levels of trust in the workplace that you need to succeed! People want to know that you have the capacity to produce the results that you say you will.

You've may heard of the Peter Principle. I'm not sure where that saying came from, however, for those of you haven't heard that saying before, it means promoting people to their level of incompetence.

So, if you continue to rely on the skills you gained in the past - the skills that got you to this position - to carry you forward in the future, you may well pay a price. The price being: a lack of trust in your ability to succeed in your current role.

Relying on your previous capabilities is not enough - you need to continually learn, grow and develop. How are you re-inventing yourself? What skills, capabilities, talents, strengths, knowledge, style do you want to enhance and grow so you remain relevant.

Do You Believe In Me?

Finally, every one of us wants others to see the great potential that resides within us.

For someone to trust you they need to know that you approve of them - even when they've done something wrong - that you still find them to be a worthwhile person and that you will continue to see in them, their potential (not just their faults).

Sure, Shelley, but you don't know the people I have to work with! Their greatness is well and truly hidden by poor performance, poor attitude etc.

I realize how challenging it can be when someone is being a right royal pain in the neck. However, like all of us, on the inside that person probably doesn't want to be this way.

Have you ever witnessed someone who under one leader was an under-performing employee and held very negative attitudes - yet once placed in a different environment they blossomed and thrived. You may have even been that person! I know I certainly have.

If you put into practice each of these elements - trust in the workplace will follow. With trust comes performance. Pure and Simple!