Amplifying Trust - The Key to Success

When I step into a room as a facilitator, there are three questions in my audience’s mind regardless of age, gender or environment.

Who are you?

Do I trust you?

What am I going to get out of this?

Therefore it is in my best interest to answer these questions as quickly as possible to enable safety and trust within the group and for me to be able to take them where I want to go.

As a leader, building trust within your team is paramount and the questions in their minds are probably not that dissimilar. Trust is the bedrock of a successful, productive, and engaged team. Trust fosters open communication, encourages collaboration, and increases your team's overall effectiveness. There are several key principles that in my experience may assist you in building trust among your team members.

1. Share Your Story

Sharing your story can be a powerful way to build trust with your team. Sharing your personal experiences, challenges, and successes can help your team members relate to you on a more human level. It can also help them see that you have been through similar experiences and that you understand their challenges and struggles.

Sharing your story can also be a way to show vulnerability, which can help you build trust with your team. When people see that you are willing to be vulnerable and share your own challenges and struggles, they are more likely to open up and trust you in return.

2. Be Authentic

Authenticity is key when building trust. It involves being genuine, honest, and transparent in your interactions with your team. People can usually sense when someone is being inauthentic, and they are more likely to trust someone who they feel is genuine.

As a leader, it is important to be honest and share your true thoughts, feelings, and perspectives with your team. Even if you don’t have all the answers or have made a mistake. This doesn't mean that you have to share everything about yourself, but when you do you allow others to feel like it is ok for them to make mistakes or seek assistance.

3. Be Clear on Your Intentions

It is important to be clear on your intentions and to communicate them clearly to your team. This means being upfront about your goals, expectations, and the reasons behind your decisions. It also means being consistent in your actions and following through on your commitments.

When your team members know what to expect from you and understand your intentions, they are more likely to trust you. They are also more likely to be motivated and engaged, as they know what is expected of them and how their work fits into the bigger picture.

4. Lead by Example

Finally, one of the best ways to build trust with your team is to lead by example. This means practising what you preach and demonstrating the same values and behaviours that you expect from your team members. If you want your team to be honest, transparent, and open, then you need to be those things yourself. If you want your team to be accountable, reliable, and committed, then you need to be those things too.

Building trust with your team is crucial for effective leadership. By being authentic, sharing your story, being clear on your intentions, and leading by example, you can build a strong foundation of trust with your team that will lead to increased engagement, productivity, and success.