Building a Culture of Trust
Having a culture of trust is one of the most necessary elements to maintaining a successful organization. The importance of trust cannot be expressed enough. It can create wonderful habits such as; employees helping other employees when they notice the need for help, employees knowing that they are supported when they make decisions, and individuals to feel the security to embrace changes because they trust the individuals who were involved in the decision making process. It is simply amazing what an organization can do if they have a strong culture of trust.
There are many ways on how to build trust, but here are a few specific tips:
Follow through with commitments.
Communicate appropriately.
Be respectful.
It is extremely important that individuals take accountability seriously. When people execute on promises they have made, others will learn they can trust what you say. This allows them to have more comfort in that individual and they will not have to spend time thinking about what the outcome may be. They become confident that tasks will be completed as expected and provide them a freedom to focus on their own task at hand.
Another way to build trust is by communicating appropriately. This is a topic that comes up in everyday life across all types of relationships, so obviously it would be of value in the workplace. People can easily point to situations where there might have been miscommunication. It is also difficult because you have to constantly consider if the information should be shared in the correct audience or if the information is of confidential nature. It is very difficult to practice this, but it is very rewarding when you see how your focus on this determination pays off.
Lastly, building trust requires respectfulness from both parties. There are a lot of opinions on the topic of respect, but ultimately you must dispel the idea of someone earning respect to build a culture of trust. All individuals in a relationship or work environment should take extreme ownership to treat others with courtesy and respect. This includes keeping an open-mind, valuing others’ input and incorporating the concept of having others’ best interest at heart.
These tips on how to build trust are not easy. They are in fact very challenging simply because it is not something that once you achieve you stop committing to it. It requires daily action, humbleness, and patience. These are virtues that you must continue to grow in if you goal is to achieve a culture of trust. There will be setbacks, but the reward and satisfaction of seeing that trust in an organization provides an amazing experience that is worth the journey!
By: Nic Elliott, Executive VP of Operations at CROFT & FROST
Resource:
https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/leadreadtoday/building-a-culture-trust