Hooked on that feeling

Big shoes to fill

In Above all else, we got to know Konstantine who had the opportunity to head up the facilities services for luxury retail mall Orchid Greens.

Even though he was a first-time leader as the department manager, with three more experienced team leaders reporting into him, Konstantine knew the importance of consistency in leadership approach with department and how it developed a sense of trust and reliability among the team members.

One of the things that he had pointed out was staff clustering achievements towards latter half of the year nearer to the performance review cycle, and the negative impression it created for senior leaders in the organization.

Feeling of trust and reliability

The junior staff who was eventually promoted was able to show consistent performance over 18 months. Now, that junior staff's achievements were not the largest or the best in the entire department. Rather it was the sense that she could be trusted by her team leader and by Konstantine as of reliable performer in the department.

To be able to build that sense of trust and reliability1 is important. It will help open doors to more opportunities. If consistency in performance is more in the sense of being trusted and be seen as reliable, then it is important to also be able to get regular feedback on how one is seen as trusted as reliable.

Konstantine and his team leaders give each other feedback for regular course correction. This is something that Konstantine definitely encouraged and looked out for, because as a first-time leader he was appreciative of having more experienced team leaders who could handle their specific areas well.

Also in words and actions

A sense of trust and reliability2 in performance also needs to be in words and actions, which is why establishing a regular feedback standard in which feedback can be regularly practiced is essential. That allowed the junior team member to perform in a more trusted and reliable manner.

In the end, that sense of trust and reliability became a very important criteria in promoting the junior team member. That also formed his one of his personal criteria that allowed him to successfully lead the Facilities Services department for his years there.

Exercise

As a leader, do your words and actions have consistency that give rise to a sense of trust and reliability to your team and your stakeholders? Is the performance of your team members giving you that sense of trust and reliability in return?

References

1 – Javed, Basharat & Rawwas, Mohammed & Khandai, Sujata & Shahid, Kamran & Habib, Hafiz. (2018), Ethical leadership, trust in leader and creativity: The mediated mechanism and an interacting effect, Journal of Management & Organization, Vol. 24, Iss. 3, pp. 388-405

2 – Mario Martinez- Corcoles (2018), High reliability leadership: A conceptual framework, Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, Vol. 26, Iss. 2, pp. 237-246