Trust Has Its Perks: 9 Things You Can Do To Get Your Team to Trust You

The ‘Control’ in the management mnemonic POLC works best for numbers and systems, not people. And, there happens to be no C in leadership.😁

Tradition dictates that leadership be about you. Your vision, you calling the shots, and you making your employees carry out your vision. Oh, how I don’t like the word ’employee’.

On the other hand is transformational leadership. This is a more favorable model with a myriad of organizational benefits, and it’s concerned with creating an environment for and influencing each member of your team to be empowered to realize their own capabilities and creativity and to operate in their own God-given talents and giftings. 

This transformational influence is such that people remain empowered even in your absence.

Influencing your people requires that they release their fears and trust you. Delegating to your people requires that you relinquish control and trust them.  Thankfully, the transformational leadership model has no chicken or egg debates. As per its ‘idealized influence‘ component, the onus to demonstrate trust should start with you being trustworthy. This is in the spirit of: Be that which you wish to see in the world. A principle we call ‘your perception is your projection’ in life coaching circles.

Trust, a feminine trait, is thought of as one of the foundations of successful relationships, and defined as a firm belief and confidence that someone is reliable, honest (relationship trust), and capable (task trust). Evidence shows that it is also the foundation for organizational success.

In so-called high-trust organizations, people feel safe to be their authentic selves, take creative risks, and innovate. They are also more likely to engage, collaborate, and communicate with one another more effectively. According to Paul J. Zak, author of Trust Factor: The Science of Creating High-Performance Companies, they experience “74% less stress, 106% more energy at work, 50% higher productivity, 13% fewer sick days, 76% more engagement, 29% more satisfaction with their lives, and 40% less burnout”.

So then, how can we tap into this superpower?

9 Things You Can Practice to Get Your Team to Trust You

1. Self-trust

• Have the conviction that you have what it takes to do/be what you have to do/be through knowing who you are, your purpose, and a healthy sense of self-worth. Develop your confidence further by increasing competence for your role as a leader, and cultivating your talents and gifts by doing things you know you are good at. 
• Set reasonable time frames for your own goals. Contrary to many other coaches, I’m a proponent of lofty goals. So instead of saying don’t set unreasonable goals, I say go for it, as long as they align with your purpose, but be reasonable with the tasks, time frames, and the effort you’re willing/able to put in. And follow through with those tasks.
• Stop second-guessing yourself. Recognize that doubt is a feeling that is not spelled ‘s.t.o.p.’ Do take an inward moment to figure out what it’s telling you. However, stand by your decisions. If you’re right, you win. If you’re wrong, you learn.
• Don’t put yourself aside or last in what you need to do for yourself. Do what you say you’ll do for yourself. Prioritize and celebrate yourself.

2. Authenticity

• Know thyself and to thine own self be true. Know who you are as a woman and as an individual, and understand the power you carry.
• Be self-aware of what you are good at and what you’re not. This also gives you the footing to delegate well.
• Get off the proverbial high horse. Don’t be afraid of being vulnerable with your mistakes and shortcomings. This reflects your humanness, with which they can identify. 
• Know your own values and create boundaries around them. This reassures them of your integrity, and that you’d not just be swayed by any passing wind.

3. Transparency

• Frequently give honest updates to your team about what’s going on in your organization.
• Let them in on decisions that affect your company and them, and why such decisions are being made. Don’t be secretive and then blindsight them.
• Share with them about changes in advance, even if it’s just the possibility of them. 
• Have an open-door policy and follow through on that by being accessible.

4. Accountability 

• Admit when you were wrong. Simply say ‘I was wrong’, without justifying it. 
• Apologize where necessary. This tells them that you stand for the truth and don’t hide behind your mistakes.
• Don’t self-deprecate, especially in front of them. Practice self-compassion. I used to do that a bit using ‘advancing age’. Now no more, my age is an asset.
• Take one for the team! I once had to coach a manager to not point fingers at any team member for not accomplishing a task. What’s worse, this was in response to an external party! You’re better off saying ‘We didn’t manage to get it done, I’ll talk to my team and see how we can expedite it’. This shows you’ve got their back.

5. Reliability

• Honor your commitments to them. Do what you say you’ll do, when you say you’ll do it. Overcommitting is setting yourself up for failure. When you know you won’t be able to deliver on time, let people know in advance.
• Align your actions and your words. It’s human nature to believe actions and not words, so do what you say you do, and be who you say you are.
• Don’t change your mind without a good reason, just because someone said so.
• Be consistent and largely predictable, so that they are able to count on you and not wonder how you’ll react today.

6. Competence

• Evidence-based best practices in my field of medicine are paramount, but you’ll be surprised at how many senior doctors don’t keep abreast through publications and/or conferences. You can imagine the implications of that. So, not only should you lead by example demonstrating the necessary (not perfect) technical knowledge and skill, but back this up with a current evidence-based approach.
• Say you’ll check on something if you’re not sure. They know you can’t possibly know everything. This increases your relatability. What I usually do is task the very person asking me with getting more information on the issue at hand, and coming back to me so we can make sense of it together. Sometimes a leader’s task is to point someone in the direction of the right person.
• Frequently partake in leadership development activities.
• Stay up to date with current news affecting your industry, specific field, and location. I’m not saying hog the news channel🤓.

7. Recognition

• Correct in private and commend in public. Find a way to ensure that the whole team learns from a mistake without you having to address an individual publicly. On the other hand, where honor is due, give it by name.
• Observe your people and discern who is good at what. Everyone has something they are good at, everyone. Sometimes we forget why people are employed in our teams. If you’re having a hard time deciding what somebody is good at, there’s nothing wrong with going back to their application documents or asking your team about each other’s strong suits.
• If they are willing, give them tasks outside of their normal descriptions in line with their strengths, to show that their gifts do not go unnoticed.
• Involve them in decision-making, process design, and implementation. This shows you recognize, respect, value, and appreciate their thoughts and opinions. 

8. Empathy

• Whenever your team faces difficulties or dealing with a mistake, be it personal or work-related, show them you understand what they are going through by listening and asking questions.
• You can also share similar experiences if you have them and how you got over those if they are interested.
• Be cognizant and aware of the inherent pressures of your workplace. Have wellness programs in place. Check in with them and proactively advocate for wellness at work and at home.
• Recognize their responsibilities outside of work. Stopping a mother from going to fetch her kid from school earlier only shows you don’t care, and they in turn end up not caring.

9. Good Ethics

• Practice fairness and justice. Afford everyone growth and learning opportunities. Not necessarily the same because not everyone is at the same level and needs the same thing. Be consistent with corrective measures as well.
• Give your people a sense of autonomy. Don’t just throw them into responsibilities outside of their scope without getting their consent first. Yes, they willingly joined your team, but you shouldn’t make decisions about them without involving them.
• Address your own biases, conscious or otherwise, that may lead you to discriminate others based on age, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, stature, looks, etc. In addition to enforcing inclusive and non-discrimination policies, this will help foster a safe working environment.
• Practice good morality: doing the right things; observing the law; respecting individuality, privacy and confidentiality; working for the greater good of all; etc. This way your team knows you have their best interest at heart, and will also have confidence in the integrity and longevity of the company.

Showing yourself trustworthy to your team members provides them the psychological safety to be and do their best for your company, which easily translates into organizational success. In a world where trust in organizations is declining, stand out.

Dr. Shibu Selatole

Dr Shibu Selatole is a Femininity Mindset and Lifestyle Coach certified in NLP Life Transformation Coaching. She helps women leaders embrace their womanhood and femininity so they can attain harmonious success at work and at home. She firmly believes that it's unnatural and unhealthy for women to continue succeeding in hyper-masculine patriarchal ways, and that this is why they experience more burnout than men. She has 20 years of forensic pathology practice, holds an MBA(cum laude) and is an award-winning Head of Unit, also overseeing clinical governance in her province and training of residents. In her dreams, her memoir is titled ‘Renewal, Decaff & Dresses’.

More Posts - Website

Follow Me: