2019 - New Leaders - Trustbuilding
I was talking to a group of supervisors recently about various ways to build employee trust. One supervisor said, "Sometimes this stuff doesn't work." He was right of course, sometimes our trust building efforts do not work. There are no miracle cures. I asked the supervisor why he said "this stuff " does not always work. He said his boss had made some conscious changes in his daily routine to try to build employee trust and they did not work.
He said his boss had decided that when anyone came into the office, the boss would give the employee his full attention. He would maintain eye contact, and avoid multitasking. He would refrain from his old habit of talking to his subordinates over his shoulder while he continued to type on the computer. He even decided to clean his long-cluttered desktop to avoid distractions when talking to those seated in front of his desk. The boss assumed everyone would notice how hard he was trying to improve, and was certain his efforts would be universally seen as positive. He was dismayed several days later to hear a rumor that he was either hiding something or was quitting because he cleaned off the top of his desk.
Let me respond to this scenario by stating what should be obvious. All the changes this boss made were good ideas. When talking to employees we should maintain eye contact and avoid multitasking. In fact, it is a good practice to go out of our way to make the person we are talking to feel like they are the only person that matters to us at that moment. As for the desktop, research has shown that it makes good sense to have a desk that is free from clutter. A clean desktop helps protect sensitive information. A clutter free desk helps your professional image, and is more efficient (I cannot be the only one who has wasted time trying to find something in a pile on my desk). And because a clutter free desk improves efficiency, it also reduces your stress.
Looking at the efforts that this boss made, it seemed that any of those efforts could help build trust. In fact, they are all things we should do regularly. But it did strike me that most of the new trust building efforts this boss tried focused on changes in his office. Bad office practices can hurt trust, but even great office practices might not build as much trust as we think. That is because it is easier to build trust outside the formality of our office. Trust is built best wherever your employees feel most comfortable. The only other failing (and I hate to use the word failing) from this boss was his expectation that his actions would produce universal appreciation, reciprocation of trust, or even acknowledgment of his efforts.
Taking steps to build trust (both inside and outside your office) typically requires conscious effort. Sometimes that effort is easy - especially with employees you like. But if your efforts are new to you, outside your comfort zone, seemingly ignored, or directed at those who have undermined your efforts in the past, your efforts may feel like real work.
You will find that your subordinates generally fall into three groups. There are those who generally respond positively (an almost immediately) too even your minimal or accidental trust building efforts. Understand however, that their visible or vocal response may be subdued and barely noticeable at times. It is also likely that you have employees who have a more suspicious nature. They may have experienced bad leaders in the past, or they may have been poisoned by morale-killing coworkers. These employees may eventually come to understand your good intentions, but may take a little more work on your part. And of course, we have all had those employees who despite all your efforts to convince them otherwise, believe you are out to hurt them. Trying to build trust, and trying to be a good leader can be extremely frustrating.
TIP: Know that most employees appreciate your efforts more than they will ever say. Trust building efforts can be frustrating and are seldom a miracle cure. But failure to at least try to build trust can cause you more than a few headaches - failure can hurt your career.
