The Power of Trust
By Steven Urban and Kat Cox
Trust is generally considered beneficial when it is strong, reliable, and based on mutual understanding and respect. In the workplace, employees who trust each other and their supervisors and leadership, and who feel trusted by them in turn, will be more engaged and productive. However, there’s more to trust in the workplace.
Let’s explore the power of trust, including its benefits and possible negative impacts, as well as how to increase trust within teams, across organizations, and within yourself.
The Benefits of Trust + Vulnerability
Trust can be as simple as believing that your colleague will finish their tasks when they say they are, and to the best quality they possibly can. This kind of trust is enough for most workplaces to function at least passably well. But adding vulnerability to trust can create more exciting opportunities and benefits for organizations and individuals alike.
When there is the acknowledgment of vulnerability within the context of trust, there are some additional positive aspects that may present themselves:
Deepened relationships: Deeper emotional connections can occur when people can be honest about their feelings, fears, and uncertainties.
Increased empathy: By being aware of other’s vulnerabilities you allow yourself to be more understanding and supportive, creating a more compassionate and caring environment.
Fostered growth and learning: By allowing individuals to take more risks, make mistakes, and learn from them, organizations can contribute to personal and professional growth and innovation as people are more willing to explore new ideas and approaches.
Greater resilience: Vulnerability can create an environment where people are better equipped to navigate challenges together, learn from setbacks, and adapt to changing circumstances.
Promoted authenticity: People will feel more comfortable bringing their whole selves to work by allowing people to be genuine in how they feel and what they are thinking without fear of judgment or retribution.
Strengthened team dynamics: Overall team performance is enhanced by increasing people’s willingness to collaborate and assist one another
How to Tell If Your Organization Could Use More Trust
It can be easy to believe that your organization has enough trust or vulnerability without questioning it further. If tasks are completed on time and quality is up to snuff, it may seem that your employees trust each other enough to work together, and that may feel like enough.
However, there may be other symptoms of a lack of trust in your employees. As a leader, ask yourself and your team:
How often do employees come to you or their supervisors with innovative ideas, whether it’s a new product, service, or process?
Do employees spearhead new project ideas or how to fix a problem, or do they wait for supervisors, managers, or other leaders to assign tasks and take the lead?
What do your retention rates look like overall and how often are you replacing critical or key employees?
How many outlets do employees have for making complaints or suggestions anonymously or without fear of being punished?
How do your leaders and supervisors react when an employee brings forth a complaint or suggestion?
How do other employees respond when a colleague comes forward with a complaint or suggestion?
Do employees feel comfortable letting their supervisor or team members know if something difficult might be happening in their personal lives that could impact their ability to be fully present at work?
What kind of focus groups do you have for employees to meet with other team members who may be part of similar groups and discuss common issues and solutions or ways to share information on their identities with others?
If you want your organization to truly be a place where innovation and creativity can thrive, you need to work on ways to ensure employees feel safe being truthful and authentic (a key tenant of psychological safety). You may be stifling other points of view or creative solutions without knowing it by encouraging employees to “stay in their lanes” or keep quiet about their true feelings.
How to Build Vulnerability and Trust in the Workplace
Increasing trust and vulnerability in the workplace can take time and considerable effort, but it will be worthwhile in the long run. Follow these steps to help increase trust in your organization:
1. Identify where trust may be absent.
The first step in creating more trust in your organization is to take a good hard look at where it may be missing. Ask yourself the questions listed above and use them to determine if you’re encouraging vulnerability in your organization or just letting employees get by with a bare minimum of trust.
2. Set up communication channels for employees.
Employees will need several ways to communicate new ideas or complaints. Anonymous channels for suggestions and complaints can help them feel more comfortable reporting issues without fear of reprisal. Encourage employees to be truthful and honest during regularly scheduled 1:1 on meetings, during annual reviews, but ultimately in your regular team meetings.
3. Listen to employees.
How you respond to suggestions, complaints, and personal situations will speak volumes to your employees about whether or not they can be truly vulnerable in your organization. Even if you find a complaint to be minimal or a suggestion to be worthless, acknowledge the issue to the broader group of employees. You may find that other employees have similar issues and were just afraid to speak up. If a complaint is sensitive, such as one that involves sexual harassment, racial bias, or ethical issues, follow your HR policies and investigate the issue with complete confidentiality where possible and keep involved employees informed on decisions. Employees need to feel safe, heard, and understood when making suggestions or complaints, even if your organization ultimately decides that there isn’t much they can do.
4. Train managers and leadership on how to encourage vulnerability.
Every member of your team should be able to participate in trust-building, but managers, leaders, and supervisors should be experts. If you want team members to feel comfortable being vulnerable, your core leadership team should be the ones leading by example and engaging in behaviors that encourage trust.
5. Bring in outside experts to help identify new routes toward vulnerability.
It can be difficult to start a new campaign of trust from scratch. We’re often blind to our own patterns and biases, and it’s impossible to create change without recognizing where it should happen. Outside experts, such as the coaches at Build Your Alliance, can provide insight into ways your organization is missing out on the benefits of trust. Our coaches can provide help to individuals, leaders, or teams by creating self-awareness and working toward mutual understanding through agreed-upon communication. Book a consultation to learn more today.
6. Create employee support groups.
Employee support or focus groups can give individuals the opportunity to meet with like-minded team members who have similar experiences regarding identity in the workplace. These support groups can provide a safe space for vulnerability and group problem-solving as well as a place to celebrate diversity and differing points of view. Some basic support groups you may consider include LGBTQIA, women, racial or ethnic minority groups, or those with mental health issues such as anxiety or depression. The kinds of groups your organization creates will depend on the makeup of your workforce, but you should encourage groups to come together and find ways to meet and discuss common issues, whether it’s at a quarterly meeting or a lunch-and-learn session.
7. Reward vulnerability and safeguard it.
Genuinely thank employees who are brave enough to come forward with new ideas or point out places where your organization can improve. Also, encourage employees to be honest in what might be going on outside of work that could impact them for a period of time at work. As much as people want to separate their work life from their personal life, we only have one tank of energy to fuel it all. Making employee’s feel comfortable with being honest about how a personal situation might impact their work, gives the leader and team an opportunity to create a plan on how to deal with it without missing milestones. More importantly, when we rally and help others, it creates a stronger sense of belonging amongst the team. Reward and/or recognize these behaviors where possible with new role opportunities, recognition, or even monetary compensation. Make sure that employee vulnerability isn’t downplayed or abused by always treating employees with respect when they come forward.
Possible Negative Implications of Increased Vulnerability
While vulnerability within trust can have positive implications, it's crucial to differentiate between healthy vulnerability and situations where trust is compromised or at risk. Trust should ideally be built on a foundation of reliability, integrity, and mutual respect. You must watch for bad actors who will take advantage of someone’s vulnerability for their own advantage. Leaders cannot reward that behavior, as it will diminish all levels of trust within a team.
Start Building Trust with Build Your Alliance
Whether you need individuals in your organization to trust their own authentic selves or for teams to start building trust through vulnerability, the certified coaches at Build Your Alliance can help. Built on a framework of individual self-awareness and compassion for others’ differences, team members can use the Build Your Alliance coaching sessions and Corporate Experiences to increase trust throughout the organization and lay a path for increased trust in the future.