Building a Culture of Trust in the Workplace

Trust is the foundation of any relationship, whether with your colleagues, friends or family. It can take years to build and seconds to break—and when it comes to leadership in the workplace, earning your team’s trust is the most effective way to improve engagement, retention and business productivity.

The first way to build a culture of trust is to define what trust means to your team. It comes from the top down because you have to lead by example, said Amy Cook CCE , credit manager at McNaughton-McKay Electric Company (Madison Heights, MI). “If you’re authentic, communicate clearly and follow through, those actions should disseminate throughout the organization,” Cook said. “You must show your team your values and want others to trust that what you say is what you are going to do. Building trust is the easy part, but maintaining trust is difficult to do.”

Being an advocate for your team is another way to build a strong foundation. In any leadership or management position, advocacy and empathy are important to obtain because your team wants to feel human first and an employee second. And showing traits of empathy and active listening creates a sense of loyalty as well. Everyone should feel as though someone has their back, said Mike Hill, CCE , NACM board director and director of credit at MiTek USA, Inc. (Chesterfield, MO).

“It builds a lot of trust when you work with your team and show a lot of empathy for what they’re going through,” said Hill. “It’s been huge for me to know my boss and other leaders around the company support me and share genuine concern. When you can relate to your team with your own struggles and stories, it builds lots of trust.”

Hill said even back to his very first job in high school that he always worked harder for the boss that treated him better. Dictator-like bosses were less motivating, but the bosses who showed empathy and flexibility made Hill want to give more effort. Some leaders take an “all in” approach and let their teams know they discuss both their work-related or personal problems.

“Our culture of trust is very tight-knit and consistency is key,” said Jennifer Seurer CCE, CICP , credit manager at Renewable Products Marketing Group (RPMG) (Shakopee, MN). “Over a period of time, the information and guidance I offer everyday starts building that trust and they can trust what I’m saying is accurate. Being personable and helpful along with not making people feel undermined.” Seurer said she wears two hats—manager Jen and friend Jen. If her team asks to talk to “friend Jen,” they know anything said between the two of them remains confidential. “My work ethic trickles down to my team,” Seurer said. “If I’m showing every day that I jump in, help out and get things done with accuracy, setting that example is what the team strives for.”

Seurer also said she uses cross-training to build trust with smaller daily tasks her team has to get done. “If you’re having a busier credit day, someone can jump in and help,” she added. “It makes the whole process more effective because you have that trust.”

But trust does not only fall on the shoulders of a leader—it is a two-way street. Leaders should also be able to trust their employees to have integrity. For example, those who avoid gossip and show consistency in their efforts to show up every day are more likely to gain trust from their leaders and those around them. Know yourself and do not put yourself in situations whereas it's too easy to break the trust, said Cook. “As a leader, you always have to be?on,” Cook added. “You can’t turn off the leadership role throughout the day just to gossip at the Keurig. It’s all about knowing yourself and remembering that what you say does matter. Once you communicate anything to your team, follow through with it, and if it’s consistent, the work environment has a better sense of trust.”

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