This time the topic is trust, as it has come up in quite a few of my recent conversations. For those of you who have read ‘Lencioni: The five pillars of dysfunctional teams’ you will know that trust is the crucial foundation for any successful team.
This Harvard Business Review article weaves in the neuroscience aspect and outlines that employees in high-trust organisations are more productive, have more energy at work, collaborate better with their colleagues, and stay with their employers longer than people working at low-trust companies. They also suffer less chronic stress and are happier with their lives, and these factors fuel stronger performance.
It sets out that to build trust you need to:
- Recognise excellence
- Give people stretching but attainable goals
- Give discretion in how people can do their work
- Share information
- Intentionally build relationships
- Invest in personal and professional development
- Show vulnerability
The article finishes by saying “Ultimately, you cultivate trust by setting a clear direction, giving people what they need to see it through, and getting out of their way. It’s not about being easy on your employees or expecting less from them. High-trust companies hold people accountable but without micromanaging them. They treat people like responsible adults.”
With that in mind, take time to think:
- How would you, and your team, rate you against the seven pillars above?
- Which ones do you find you do instinctively, and which ones do you have to consciously think about?
- What are you going to focus on doing more of next week?
As leaders, we can all show our people that we are role modelling the changes that all of us want to see. Let’s be better and be the change. Contact [email protected] if you would like help to do so.
For more articles, encouraging you to think and be the change – visit here.