Trust Archives - EQuest Asia

Build More Trust in Hybrid Settings

Happiness at Work, Leadership / By My Holland / Trust

Build More Trust in Hybrid Settings 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. Check your biases 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! Set clear goals 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. Schedule times for zoom and calls 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. Provide the proper equipment and support You can’t assume workers have the right equipment for remote work. Maybe, they need new software or faster internet connections. Think of your employees’ welfare 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.

Build Trust with Empathy

Happiness at Work, Leadership, Workplace Culture / By 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.

The Connection between Trust and Happiness

Happiness, Happiness at Work, Leadership / By 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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