How will you feel if you work for someone you do not trust? You do not trust his motives, you do not trust what the person says and you do not feel encouraged to share the truth with this person?
Trust is a very important element for leaders and managers. Your followers cannot support you completely if they do not trust you. They need the assurance that what you say is true, they need to be sure that if you say you will do something you will do it. They need the assurance that if you are working on something, the motives are pure. To improve the working relationship, they need to be sure that what they have shared with you remains with you. If you can get them to say in their hearts, “I trust you and I trust in what you can do” then you are not far from having their 100% support and commitment.
I remember a team member of mine who shared a lot of her personal life with me. One part of her personal life had some implication for the organization. One afternoon, she found herself in a meeting where this part of her life was being discussed with me and other management. I saw the hurt in her eyes.
Later on I received a text from her which implied that she was hurt by the company’s treatment but felt more betrayed that what she had discussed with me came out in the open. I defensively wanted to take offence because I was also under some pressure concerning her situation. But my eyes were opened to the fact that trust had been severed and we cannot work effectively together if that trust is not rebuilt. Under the rain, I went to find her and we talked about it. Communicating with her helped her understand that the purpose of the meeting was not to harm her but to help her. I also learnt that I should have communicated this with her rather than letting her find out about the leak in secret and taken unawares.
You may feel that management and leadership is so professional that you do not need such simple things as trust. From my experience, it goes a long way in bonding teams.
And if you ever find yourself in a situation where trust between you and a colleague, subordinate or boss is being affected, quickly repair it. You need trust for a comfortable working relationship.
Trust is a very important element for leaders and managers. Your followers cannot support you completely if they do not trust you. They need the assurance that what you say is true, they need to be sure that if you say you will do something you will do it. They need the assurance that if you are working on something, the motives are pure. To improve the working relationship, they need to be sure that what they have shared with you remains with you. If you can get them to say in their hearts, “I trust you and I trust in what you can do” then you are not far from having their 100% support and commitment.
I remember a team member of mine who shared a lot of her personal life with me. One part of her personal life had some implication for the organization. One afternoon, she found herself in a meeting where this part of her life was being discussed with me and other management. I saw the hurt in her eyes.
Later on I received a text from her which implied that she was hurt by the company’s treatment but felt more betrayed that what she had discussed with me came out in the open. I defensively wanted to take offence because I was also under some pressure concerning her situation. But my eyes were opened to the fact that trust had been severed and we cannot work effectively together if that trust is not rebuilt. Under the rain, I went to find her and we talked about it. Communicating with her helped her understand that the purpose of the meeting was not to harm her but to help her. I also learnt that I should have communicated this with her rather than letting her find out about the leak in secret and taken unawares.
You may feel that management and leadership is so professional that you do not need such simple things as trust. From my experience, it goes a long way in bonding teams.
And if you ever find yourself in a situation where trust between you and a colleague, subordinate or boss is being affected, quickly repair it. You need trust for a comfortable working relationship.
