Trust is The Foundation for Any Thriving Team and Manufacturing Business

In any relationship, be it personal or professional, trust is the foundation. In a company, we work with a group of people toward a common goal and achievement. So, like in any social setting, we should find a common way to connect, share, and grow.

What if there is no trust?

Many don’t realise that we spend much of our life working. We spend at least five days a week with a group of people, working towards a common goal. While there are a lot of individual contributions that happen, it all needs to sync well for the unit to perform better as a whole.

When we have a team, we work with regularly, isn’t it better to bond and develop a sense of inclusivity? If there’s no trust, the individuals in a team might feel left out. There’ll be crevices of jealousy, negative competition, uncertainty, and a lot more. Such an environment will not just affect the individual’s state of mind but also harm the workflow in the business. As a result, the team might make too many errors, fall behind the target numbers, fail to meet deadlines, and more. In any business, communication is the key to unlocking successful goals. However, a good bridge of communication can’t be built without the cement of trust.

Ways to build trust

It’s good that a business ensures that the workspace doesn’t get toxic. However, it’s not enough. A leader should go one step further and make efforts to help the teammates build a sensible, positive, and encouraging environment. Here are a few ways you can build trust in a team or business.

Transparency

Everything starts from the top. A leader leads the way, and the team follows. So, if you’re keen on building a team or business fuelled by mutual trust, there’ll be an open space for communication. This transparency creates a safe space where people feel they are valued and trusted. In turn, it automatically leads the team members to develop trust, leading to a healthy professional environment.?

Responsibility and Reliability

Inter-dependency and reliability are extremely important in any team setting. As a group of individuals working on various aspects of a project, there is going to be a need to communicate and coordinate with other workers and departments. The individuals should realise that their team is reliable, and this reliability stems from the aspect that each employee is responsible for their duty. When everyone tries to meet proper deadlines and fulfil their commitments, a strong thread of reliability is eventually built. Individual responsibility leads to reliability within the team, which creates trust among individuals and eventually paves for better productivity.

Competence and Competition

Competition is a word that people don’t usually use when talking about trust. However, healthy competition in terms of achieving targets or meeting deadlines can enhance the trust in the results of each other’s work. Competence, on the other hand, creates a confident team who are ready to learn and work together.?

Acceptance and Accountability

When a team member commits an error, they should feel responsible enough to accept it. However, one must realise that a sense of responsibility will alone not force an individual to accept their mistakes. When the environment is healthy and every team member knows that it’s a safe space, they begin to take accountability for their work and errors. As a team, everyone will be interested in finding solutions together and this will foster trust.

How can trust help a business?

When an individual knows that their leader and colleagues have their backs, it does wonders for their motivation and passion. As a team, when each realises that the other is trustworthy, the professional bond strengthens. Both these aspects lead to a peaceful structure where growth and learning are the sole targets. A good environment leads to good work and good business.

When there is no constant quarrel or conflict, a lot of time is saved. It creates more productivity. Likewise, when people are at their most comfortable level, their creativity is high. So, people begin to innovate and create witty processes that will foster development. On the other hand, proper communication is established within the team. So, they can arrive at decisions quickly and have healthy arguments that will help in better outcomes. Even when there are risks or issues, the team will stand together to prevent, mitigate, and adapt quickly. Overall, trust is the foundation because it nurtures the team and enhances productivity and business.

Things to keep in mind while strategising ways to build trust

Trust must be mutual

When you build a team as a leader, you should understand that trust isn’t one way. Like any relationship, even professional bonds require effort from both sides. Therefore, both the leader and the team members should act responsibly, take accountability, and respect each other’s opinions to create mutual trust.

Are you a leader?

If you are a leader, you must focus on two main factors to ensure the trust link is mutual. Giving recognition and creating a supportive culture will help the employees feel safe and begin to trust you and the team.

Therefore, it is important to provide constant feedback to the team and ensure their work is valued and recognised. While constructive feedback will help correct the errors, recognising their efforts and skills will create more positive actions. A supportive culture is where everyone shares their knowledge and skills and supports each other in terms of crisis and conflicts. Such a culture always begins with a trustworthy and responsible leader.

Are you a team member?

When you know the culture is supportive and encouraging and that the leader is ready to value your work, you must understand that the chain of trust now requires you to play your part. This works two ways. As an individual, you must take responsibility for fulfilling your tasks with sincerity and honesty. As a team member, you should communicate clearly with other members, take part actively in team-building activities, and ensure you strengthen the interpersonal bond.