Business Management Skills: Developing Employee Trust

Trust Building Tips for ManagersManagers need to set moral values for the work
To be successful as a manager it is important toplace. Teams with common ethics are healthier, more
develop a relationship with the team that is based onproductive, adaptable, responsive, and resourceful
trust. When employees trust and respect theirbecause they are united under one common value
manager they will give special effort especially whenset.
they feel trusted and supported.Keep Your Word
Employees rarely excel under the punitive thumb ofDo what you say you will do and make your actions
someone they do not trust and who they feel doesvisible. Team members quickly pick up on insincerity
not trust them. Without trust productivity suffers asand broken promises. Visibly keeping commitments
team members play politics, spend time coveringwill foster trust. If a manager neglects to make
themselves and being compliant to dictates that theyactions visible to the team it can create the
know are counterproductive. Lack of trust affectsimpression/perception that they dont follow through.
morale and customer satisfaction as the employeesKeep Interactions Consistent and Predictable
shift energy and focus from working on real lifeBuilding trust is a process. Trust results from
issues that affect customers to resentment andconsistent and predictable interaction over time. If a
dissatisfaction towards management.manager responds differently from week to week it
Effective Communicationbecomes harder to trust him or her.
Managers who communicate openly and frequentlySet the Tone for the Future from the Beginning
build relationship and trust with the team. They shouldThe initial actions of the manager establish norms and
not make team members guess what theyre thinkingexpectations. A manager should lead by example.
but should tell them. Employees can feel that noBe Accessible and Responsive
news is bad news. A lack of interaction erodes trust.Find ways to be regularly available to team members.
Face to face interaction is the best method to buildWhen interacting, be responsive. Unresponsiveness
trust.causes unease and distrust. Be action rather than talk
To get Trust Managers Need to Give Trustoriented. Dont just think about taking action-do it!
It is important for a manager to create anMaintain Confidences
environment of trust. This begins by trusting others.Team members need to be able to express
It is more effective to assume employees areconcerns, identify problems, share sensitive
trustworthy unless they prove otherwise rather thaninformation, and surface relevant issues. It is
waiting to give trust when they havent earned it. Asimportant early on to get agreement as to how
team members come to feel they are trusted byconfidential data will be handled.
their manager, they will find it easier to trust in return.Watch your Language
Be HonestIt is important that a managers language does not
Honesty is a very important factor that affects trust.imply us or them. Terminology should be easy to
Managers who demonstrate openness about theirunderstand. Leaders should stick with business
actions, intentions and vision, soon find that peoplelanguage and not use strong or vulgar language.
respond positively to self disclosure and sincerity. AsCreate Social time for the Team
a manager share good and bad news openly. ThisA lot of trust and confidence is built through informal
can eliminate gossip and diffuse inappropriate politics.social interaction. Successful managers ensure that
Great managers know that they are not perfect andsocial opportunities happen regularly.
they make mistakes. It is better for a manager toBuilding trust with employees is critical for creating an
admit mistakes rather than ignore them or covereffective team that works well together. Taking time
them up. A cover up (perceived or real) is probablyto build trust will reap benefits for managers that last
the greatest single enemy to trust.a long time.
Establish Strong Business Ethics