Managing a team of people who do not trust each other is an uphill battle. It is vital to inspire trust in the workplace in order to be able to work well together and be successful.
It is the responsibility of a Manager to get their team working well together and on the right track to success. If your team is lacking in trust, then consider these 6 ways to help them build it:
1. Trust your Team
You should be leading by example. If you cannot trust your team then you cannot expect them to trust each other. Displaying trust in your own working relationships, whether that be with your team members or your own boss, sets a great example to others who will be able to learn from you.
2. Build Personal Connections
Do your team actually know each other? Do you know your team? You should make an effort to ask your team members about their lives outside of work – ask about their hobbies, interests and family. You should also share with them some details about your life as well (in a natural, conversational manner).
To help build personal connections you could also run some team activities and organise social events outside of the office (even if it’s just going for a few drinks after work). You want your team to be able to relax around you and each other. Building personal connections will quickly improve working relationships and therefore productivity back in the office.
3. Be Honest
Honesty is central to building trust. Where possible, be open with your team and fill them in on what is going on. Avoid twisting the truth and telling white lies because it could come back to bite you.
4. Assist with Communication
Your team members are likely to have different preferred ways of communication. This means that they need to be able to understand and appreciate how each other like to work and communicate. If your team members can understand what styles work well for each person then they will be able to tailor how they communicate with that person to develop the best working relationship possible.
As a manager, it is up to you to ensure that your team have the skills and knowledge to communicate and work well together. To help with this, you could try using psychometric tests to help everyone to understand each other.
5. Be Consistent
Being consistent inspires trust, so always make an effort to do what you say you are going to do and to keep your promises. Arriving to work and meetings on time also shows consistency, so do your best to be punctual.
6. Don’t Place Blame
Mistakes and disappointments are often unavoidable when working in a team, they happen. When they do, it is important for you to divert the whole team’s focus away from who is to blame and direct them instead to focus on working together to resolve the problem and move forward. You can also encourage discussion of how such mistakes can be avoided in the future.
A team with trust will work well together, they will be more efficient and they will get better results, so be sure to build trust within your team.
