Trust Archives - EQuest Asia

Build More Trust in Hybrid Settings

Happiness at Work, Leadership / My Holland / Trust

It wasn’t long ago that the whole world came to a standstill because of the pandemic. Remote work became the new norm, if at all possible. Employees who still received paychecks while working at home faced new challenges. Leaders and executives, too, were caught unprepared as they were unsure of how to manage people who were only virtually present. The All-Seeing Eye Sixty percent of employers surveyed used tracking software to monitor employees working from home. Also, they checked the social media accounts of their workers more often to see what they had been up to. Companies justified the use of technology to “watch” employees. Also, many managers believed that their direct reports would not be as productive when nobody could “see” them. Many remote workers felt they weren’t trusted enough and soon developed negative views about their superiors. Trust Begins With You As a leader, do you need to monitor your remote employees closely? About 40% of more than 200 managers surveyed in 2020 were not confident with people working offsite. As a result, they tend to micromanage employees they can’t see. Why not cut remote workers slack and give them the benefit of the doubt? And if you want them to perform as expected, follow these tips to build trust instead. Do you look down on remote work? If you believe it’s not beneficial, you’re setting yourself and your colleagues up for failure. Give it a chance! What tasks need to be done by the end of the day or week? As long as employees know these, you don’t need to check on them often or “look” over their shoulders. Asking for a progress report every hour is counterproductive. Be clear when you want people working from home to contact you. Call for zoom meetings only when necessary, as messaging or SMS for updates can be enough. You can’t assume workers have the right equipment for remote work. Maybe, they need new software or faster internet connections. Many studies show that working at home is not a vacation and can be stressful. Employees end up accomplishing tasks and unavoidable chores. Be flexible and help your remote workers cope. Sure, they save on travel and meals, but they might babysit, prepare food, answer the door and feed pets. When you show that you understand their situation and believe they’ll deliver, then you’re building trust.

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Build Trust with Empathy

Happiness at Work, Leadership, Workplace Culture / My Holland / Trust

It’s not surprising that empathy is necessary for building trust in the workplace. You’re not only putting yourself in others’ shoes. You also open up more when you share your thoughts and feelings.

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The Connection between Trust and Happiness

Happiness, Happiness at Work, Leadership / My Holland / Trust

Some organizations still believe that high salaries and generous benefits are enough to keep employees motivated and happy. This might be true. But will you be happy in an environment where mistrust and intrigue are prevalent? Sure, these two exist in all organizations. You can always keep colleagues at arm’s length and maybe trust a few. Given a choice, would you stay or seek other options? Money or material wealth isn’t enough to keep employees. In time, they leave to take a different career path or search for opportunities to find happiness. The last sounds like a cliché, but people prefer to be happy than miserable – even at work. Happiness Means Different to People Several factors make people happy at the office. Among these are the following: • A fulfilling job• Transparency and honesty• Open communication• Flexibility• Challenging tasks• Friends at work• Good work environment There’s a common factor in the above and that is trust. People are social animals who need to be recognized and valued. It’s fair to assume that humans also desire a level of trust to exist in any situation. Leaders may not be friends with their colleagues. But, they will recognize the skills and abilities of their employees. Thus, they believe their staff will get things done. This is what’s known as transactional trust. Other leaders promote relational trust in the office, which encourages the creation of personal relationships. Employees who work with people they like are more effective team players and collaborators. Remember that both types of trust can lead to happier people at work. Trust Matters Employees work harder or smarter when they know their bosses and colleagues have their backs. They aren’t afraid to take risks and try out new ideas. Also, they don’t create unnecessary barriers that prevent good working relationships with coworkers. Conversely, in an environment lacking trust, a worker becomes passive, reserved and apathetic to the people around. An organization with a culture of trust encourages employees to address work problems and their need for assistance. In case of conflict, they don’t fear opening up. Know Your Colleagues What does trust mean to your coworkers? Like happiness, it means different to each person. For instance, will employees view more autonomy positively? It will be if you express your confidence in your colleagues. As a leader, you must verbalize your trust, as it might not be apparent outright. Don’t forget it also leads to happiness.

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If You Want to Build Trust, Take the First Step

Leadership, Mindfulness / My Holland / Trust

According to a 2019 Gallup article, only 1 in 3 employees fully trust their leaders. The rest somewhat do or have low regard for their managers. It might be different with your organization. You could say that the majority have confidence in your management. But companies and people evolve. Also, some leave to retire or find other opportunities. New hires usually replace these employees. As a leader, you must repeat the process of building and increasing trust because of these changes. Here’s how you could go about it. » Change Your Mindset You meet new people often and judge them, consciously or unconsciously. You are polite and cordial, but you will admit you don’t trust them enough. Most people adhere to the belief that trust is earned and not given. But keep in mind a new employee goes through a selection process. You might have interviewed that candidate and have had a hand in hiring. Your organization hired the best person for that position. You and your HR department most probably made the right choice. Thus, isn’t it better to be more trusting of that new employee? As people grow older, they become more cautious of others. Of course, one should not trust a stranger in a dark alley. But the workplace is different as employees aren’t strangers. Leaders should continue showing confidence in them unless they have behaved negatively. » Trust even when Unsure How often have you wondered if a new hire can handle something difficult? After weighing the pros and cons, you realize there’s only one way to find out – assign that task to that person. This situation can be difficult for many as nobody can foresee future results. But, as a leader, you must take risks and break the mold. Show confidence in capable though untested people. Remain consistent and often, you’ll realize that your trust isn’t unfounded. » There’s no Middle Ground In many organizations, leaders have a wait-and-see attitude. Employees must prove their worth before they’re given more responsibilities or information. It’s different where a culture of trust exists. Managers have no qualms about delegating tasks and are confident employees will make the right decisions. Leaders share information with everyone, so there’s no room for rumors. It’s no surprise these organizations perform better than others. Keep in mind that it starts from the top and as a leader, this means giving instead of withholding trust. Take the first step and show your employees they are trustworthy.

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Trust Means Having More Faith in People

Awareness, Leadership / My Holland / Trust

The word faith is often associated with religion. This article focuses on believing in others. Many employees complain when they’re assigned challenging tasks. They assume it’s some form of punishment. They’re mistaken because they aren’t aware that they’re trusted with more complex work. In short, their bosses believe in them. Conversely, some leaders prefer to do the hard stuff on their own. They strictly abide by the phrase, “if you want something done right, do it yourself.” They rarely delegate tasks to others because they don’t believe in their colleagues. These leaders claim there’s trust in their organizations. But they barely show confidence in the people they work with. The question is which side of the fence you belong to. Before moving on… The word faith is often associated with religion. This article focuses on believing in others. Faith in people doesn’t mean being Blind As a leader, you wouldn’t assign tasks to colleagues when unsure of their abilities. You would first ask yourself, what are your employees capable of? You can determine this from past performances and experience. What about the new employees who haven’t been tested? You can find out by assigning them simple tasks and soon increasing the difficulty. Believing in people also means accepting their weaknesses and shortcomings. Ignoring these can lead to blind faith. Keep in mind that perfect employees do not exist. There’s more than one way to cook an egg This is a good reminder for the perfectionists out there. They believe that their method of doing things is the only right way. Faith in others’ skills or abilities can increase efficiency and innovation. Also, expressing confidence is a motivator as employees strive harder to prove themselves worthy of such. If you want to build trust in your organization, let others flourish. Actively look out for people who are capable of taking on challenges. They may discover new ways or even develop better ideas that will benefit your organization. Don’t lose faith because of failures People you believe in will sometimes fail you. If you’re a sports fan, you’ve witnessed times when star players failed to score at a crucial time. The best sports teams, though, will continue to believe and remain confident in them.

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Trust

Build More Trust in Hybrid Settings

Build Trust with Empathy

The Connection between Trust and Happiness

If You Want to Build Trust, Take the First Step

Trust Means Having More Faith in People

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