High-trust workplaces produce results
It’s no secret that trust is what people and teams need for an effective workplace. When trust exists, employees feel confident that they can step forward and bring their best work, and can align comfortably around a common purpose, taking on an element of risk that supports a much needed, creative drive towards new solutions. In the absence of trust, progress and relationships are stifled – information is hoarded, organizations play it safe, and there’s less opportunity to create and innovate. In the words of Stephen Covey, “Without trust we don’t truly collaborate; we merely coordinate or, at best, cooperate. It is trust that transforms a group of people into a team.”
Research indicates that employees are proud to work in high-trust environments that are motivated to produce results, where expectations of what’s required are clear. Employees also embrace organizations that support transparency, where what is expected is also articulated. Trusted environments provide a safe space for growth and development, innovation, success creation, and evolution from potential failures. Trust provides reassurance when times may be uncertain, and a constant when the path may be unclear. Strong managers leverage team skills and abilities to support productivity, and align the right people to the right activities, then create training opportunities for cross-pollination of learning to benefit the entire organization, leaving the team around them feeling confident in the abilities of what’s being built around them.
Positive relationships are critical to supporting trust within teams. Instilling trust requires formal and informal teams to balance results with a general concern for others and to establish general cooperation among the working group. Remaining in touch and keeping a pulse on the issues and happenings within the working unit is critical to maintaining the confidence of the workgroup. Additionally, providing honest feedback in a supportive and constructive way will advance the progress of the unit and keep trust at the forefront of advancement.
Most staff have learned to trust leaders who are deemed as knowledgeable, well-informed, and have experiences that can coach and shape the future of their organization. When there’s a track record of sound judgement and evidence of a strong success rate, employees believe in their leaders’ ability to take them across to the next frontier. Opinions are often called upon and there’s an indication that the leaders both understand the work and have demonstrated that they have achieved success meeting objectives doing one or more elements of similar work in their past career. Effective leaders serve as role models to others within the organization and execute against what they say they will do; their credibility is as critical as the output they achieve.
To support leaders in their own development with this competency, our Managing for Results course has been strengthened to include the Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team, based on The Five Dysfunctions of a Team leadership philosophies credited to Patrick Lencioni. Managers will walk away with a clearer understanding of how to strengthen their business, their teams and themselves. Please use this link to our training reservation system to learn more and enroll!
Additionally, we encourage all staff to take advantage of other learning opportunities to enhance their trust building capabilities to increase their effectiveness, both personally and professionally. Leading with Influence recognizes that individuals often need to use their ability to “enlist, persuade, and engage” others, to get results. In fact, without the ability to influence, individuals can end up working hard and long to strategize, innovate, and achieve their goals – and still not get the payoff they deserve from their efforts. In this fast-paced, hands-on workshop you will hone your influencing skills and learn how to maximize the innate, core competencies you already possess. You can enroll now.