Trust: Building Cushion for Your Team

Implicitly, trust is the foundation of almost everything we do. Having watched one too many scary movies, I often think about how much trust we put in others as I walk through a parking garage at night and feel such relief when I’m in my car safely.? It’s present in our daily commutes when we trust a driver will stop at a red light, knowing that a meeting will start on time, the confidence that we have in our colleagues at work, it’s the reason why we share something personal with a friend, it’s core to our laws and contracts, and it’s why we cast a ballot for someone who will represent our interests. It’s also foundational for leaders as they create the conditions for employees to realize their wildest potential fully.?

And as essential as it is, we don’t always talk about trust openly with our loved ones, our teams at work, the people we lead, and our leaders. Explicitly investing time exploring and improving trust might be the boost you need to get a team dynamic unstuck.

Author and Harvard professor Frances X. Frei eloquently explains in this TedTalk. Frei’s research describes three core drivers of trust: authenticity, logic, and empathy. Whether at work or in your personal life, trust is dependent on people knowing they are interacting with the real you (authenticity), that they believe in your judgment and competence (logic), and that they feel you care about them and their success (empathy). If you observe trust decay, reflect on one of these three drivers.

As I consider trust and how we build that for our team at Community Financial, I reflect on the following: ?

Authenticity

As a leader who dreams boldly, I have dealt with a fair amount of skepticism throughout my career. When people first got to know me, saw me on a stage, in my time as an advisor at Filene, or even as a new leader at the organizations I have worked at, I faced people questioning if my loud laugh, joy, and charisma were authentic. That skepticism dissolves over time as people consistently see that I show up over and over again in the same way. They realize that my storytelling and persona are honest and while different, are genuine. This is what the authenticity driver represents, and until people realize they are experiencing the real you, trust cannot be attained.

Logic

I have been fortunate and work hard to surround myself with brilliant teachers and professionals who, through dialogue, learning (academic and behavioral), coaching, and practice, have shaped my leadership philosophy. In our financial industry, the rigor of our analysis and ability to execute must be airtight. My early beginnings as a marketing leader have sometimes caused me to over-index on logic to ensure those who only know my creativity also see my strategic and analytical strengths.

Empathy

Lastly, people must be sure that, as leaders, we are not putting our personal gain ahead of the interest of the whole. At Community Financial, we vividly manifest it as Relentless Care. We are firmly aligned as a team that we put others before ourselves. We genuinely care for one another and our members. Listening is our superpower to grow empathy, and that supports our drive for relevant and meaningful transformational change.

Think for a moment of the people you trust most. For me, it’s my parents. I notice that my shoulders drop when I am with the two of them, and a comfort rises. I can speak openly, share fully, and relax. This is why trust magnifies results in an organization. That ease allows human beings to be their best. No strategy, no plan, and no relationship will ever thrive if trust is not nurtured consciously. Which trust dimension might you enhance to give your team even more cushion?