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Picture this: Your phone rings and you see the caller I.D. pop up on the screen. The little voice in your head questions, “Should I answer the call or send it straight to voicemail?” It’s understandable that we don’t always want to pick up our calls. But have you ever put yourself in the other person’s shoes and wondered how many times someone has chosen to not answer your calls? As leaders, it’s important to get every call answered. But even more important is having the trust in your team that they will be there when you need them – and vice-versa. With one missed call, opportunities can be lost and situations addressed too late in the game. Simple things like not picking up phones calls are subtle clues in a work culture that the level of trust may not be where it should be. Reputations and relationships are formed – at a foundational level – during stressful moments when trust is either built or broken.
As leaders, not getting your team to answer calls may be a warning sign that there is something bigger going on. You have to remember that every interaction with someone is a chance to build trust, including a simple phone call. All great teams have one thing in common – trust: as defined by the ability to be vulnerable, admit weaknesses, and believe in one another. It’s extremely vital to set egos and titles aside in order to move the organization forward as a whole. Even little things like having the confidence to say “I’m sorry” is important for a team looking to build trust.
If your team has a challenge with trust, there can be big costs associated. According to famed productivity and organizational behavior expert, Stephen Covey, trust is a real and important economic factor. In his book, The Speed of Trust, Covey discusses the ‘trust tax’ and ‘trust dividend’ – if there is low trust among your team, speed decreases and cost increases as a result. If you are working in a high trust culture, there is the opposite effect, with an increase in speed and decrease in costs (in essence giving you a trust dividend). With a high trust culture, you are also creating a happier and more engaged workplace which boosts productivity. You might have great strategies and execution plans, but if you have low trust you won’t get the desired results. Keep in mind that high trust won’t save a bad strategy, but low trust will derail a good one.
According to the Edelman 2016 Trust Barometer, “Nearly one in three employees don’t trust their employer. And more than two thirds feel that CEOs are too focused on short-term performance.” What can you do differently to build trust in your company with team members and clients? You have to be willing to move away from old habits and negative attitudes to effectively change behaviors and build a healthy culture that is more proactive than reactive.
Here are 5 powerful ways to improve trust within your workplace according to the research by Stephen Covey in The Speed of Trust. Here are the ‘Stop’ and ‘Start’ behaviors that promote them:
1. Deliver results
Stop these behaviors:
- Accepting low standards
- Quitting or not seeing things through
- Overreacting to setbacks
- Making excuses
- Saying you are too busy and swamped
Start saying:
- “Let’s do this together!”
- “What are the measures and how will we know? By when?”
- “What does success look like?”
- “How will we celebrate?”
- “Let’s discuss our barriers to success and a Plan B.”
2. Talk straight
Stop these behaviors:
- Lying or deceiving
- Hiding or covering things up
- Beating around the bush
- Giving upfront disclaimers
- Withholding information
Start saying:
- “Here’s how I see it…”
- “I respect you and I want to talk straight.”
- “Here is my intention…”
- “Here are the brutal facts…”
- “I want to be as transparent as I can.”
3. Listen first
Stop these behaviors:
- Speaking first
- Interrupting
- Thinking about what you are going to say next
- Multi-tasking during conversations
- Pretending to listen
Start saying:
- “What I hear you saying is…”
- “Let me make sure I understand.”
- “Let’s clarify…”
- “What’s your perspective?”
- “What do you mean? How are you feeling?”
4. Right wrongs
Stop these behaviors:
- Taking things so personally
- Making assumptions
- Justifying bad behavior
- Denying you made mistake
- Covering up anything
- Procrastinating
Start saying:
- “I made a mistake. I’m sorry.”
- “I was wrong.”
- “This is my fault. It won’t happen again.”
- “I’m truly sorry for how my actions impacted you.”
- “What can I do to make this right?”
- “Here is what I can commit to doing moving forward…”
5. Show appreciation
Stop these behaviors:
- Assuming people think you care as a reason not to show it
- Micromanaging others and their work
- Withholding trust
- Confusing accountability with trust
Start saying:
- “I truly appreciate you and what you did.”
- “Here is what I appreciate about you…”
- “Thank you.”
- “How are you doing? Tell me about you.”
- “I believe in you. I know you can do this.”
- “How can I support you?”
- “What are your thoughts about this?”
You have the ability to rebuild trust and inspire others in your organization to do the same. Trust may be thought of as a soft skill set, but it delivers bottom line results. Please join me at the 7th annual Achievers Customer Experience (ACE) Conference from September 13-14 where I will be sharing more about the currency and culture of trust.
