Does Your Team Trust you? & Do You Trust Them?

Trust?serves as the basis for effective relationships in every workplace culture and organization, and it is what motivates, influences, and keeps us accountable to?one?another.

But,?how do you know if your team trusts?'you', their leader?

There're some signs of low trust?that?show up in people’s attitudes and behaviors:

? People are unwilling to admit mistakes:?Team members might experience fear of being evaluated or facing potential repercussions from you.

? When you ask for inputs, people don’t speak up or they offer minimal contributions:?If you have shown defensiveness or dismissal in the past, it's possible that your team has refrained from being open and honest with you.

? Team members copy you on every email and put everything in writing:?People are spending a lot of time playing defense. They’re afraid of being blamed. They might mistrust you, each other, or both.

? One or two team members really respond to you, but the rest are standoffish:?You might be playing favorites. People resent it when some team members get listened to and credited more than others.

When faced with underperforming teams,?your?immediate inclination might be to address the superficial problems by modifying a process or intensifying supervision Micromanagement.

But dig deeper—Take a moment to reflect on the potential influence your own actions and decisions could have had on the level of trust established.

• Have I acted with integrity?
• Are my standards fair and my decisions consistent?
• Am I missing skills or knowledge?

If you find yourself unable to respond “yes” to all three questions.

It’s crucial to take the appropriate measures and initiate necessary actions.?You might need to make amends for an error or poor decision, or become better informed.

Humility is powerful—?It’s only through?sincere?introspection of your?strengths and weaknesses that you can grow?together with your team and thrive.

There’s another part of the trust recipe:?Do you trust your team?

Trust?is a two-way street,?for your team to fully trust you,?you?have to show that you trust?them.

How can you do it? Make sure people have:

? A fair degree of autonomy?in their tasks.

? The information they need to?be successful.

? Ownership?and accountability?of their results.

When?people?have?autonomy over their tasks and comprehend the?meaning?of their contributions, they experience a sense of empowerment. This empowerment translates into increased productivity and reduced stress levels, enabling them to accomplish more efficiently.

If you decide to micromanage your team, not only will you show that you don't trust them, but it will also consume your time, prevent you from achieving extraordinary results, and undermine your employees’ sense of purpose and initiative.

To show you trust your team:

1?? Provide your team with comprehensive context and pertinent information about the undertaking, ensuring they understand the significance of their contributions.

2?? Then, step back. Empower people to make decisions and give them as much flexibility as you can to get their work done.

Pro Tip:?Granting autonomy doesn’t?imply neglecting responsibilities. Instead, it involves delegating tasks, establishing a mutually agreed-upon check-in schedule, and being accessible for inquiries, providing resources, and offering guidance.

Final note:

In the realm of leadership and teamwork, trust is the foundation upon which everything is built. Without trust, true collaboration, productivity, and success become elusive goals. But trust is a two-way street. Before seeking to earn your team's trust, first show that you truly trust them by giving them autonomy, sharing information, and making them feel that their contributions matter.

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