One of the basic elements for a good working atmosphere and success is trust. Trust is a strong binding factor, which is guaranteed to ensure success within every team.
It is one of the elements through which a team evolves and enjoys a deep level of involvement and a commitment to each other and to work. It can change a good team into an excellent team.
Sometimes, however, there can be a lack of trust, such as when certain team members do not like each other. Or maybe something has happened in the past that still causes issues today?
Trust is wonderful, but you’ll have to work on it together. It’s not something that just falls out of the sky. To build trust within your team, as a manager you will first have to ensure clear and direct communication and genuine feedback (take a look at the blog article called “Constructive feedback: how do you do it?”). This is because transparency is not only a good thing, but also a ‘must’ for the proper functioning of a team.
As a team leader you will also have to pay the necessary attention to your team members (take a look at the blog article called “The importance of personal attention for each team member”). Why is that? Because trust is also active and it does not exist without actively paying attention.
How can you make this happen? Carry on reading!
Connection and communication as a way to build trust
If you want to (learn to) trust someone, then you will have to look at the basics for the way in which they can trust you. Sometimes people do this very easily, simply because they choose to trust others. But in many cases it’s a lot more difficult. Life isn’t always easy and sometimes team members have a problem or an ongoing issue that makes it difficult for them to trust you as a manager from day one. Or indeed the other team members.
In order to find out whether this is the case and where it came from, you will have to delve into the history of the team, the department and the company. And it’s you who will have to make that call. Can you see any bottlenecks with a particular team member and would you like to help him or her? If so, try to communicate with each other in a friendly and open way. You really don’t need any extra special social and psychological skills to be able to do this! All you need is a sympathetic ear and the ability to listen in an unbiased and empathic manner. This approach will soon bear fruit, because what you are doing is offering your team members a safe place to go in case they experience problems.
Continue to pay constant attention
After an enlightening conversation, most things will improve but it is good to keep paying attention. Regularly ask your team members how they are doing. Always try to listen when they come to you with problems, even if you’re busy. By constantly paying attention to your team members, they will feel they are being listened to and understood. And it is this very understanding that forms such an excellent basis for trust, because it gives you the feeling of being together on the same page.
Your team consists of people and people need connection and commitment. Through open communication and attention you are offering your team the space to grow within a pleasant and safe working atmosphere. This will not only benefit the team spirit, but also the results within your team!
This is because happy team members are productive team members. Of course, the same also applies to you as a leader. Leading a happy team is so much more pleasant than managing a team in which there is a lack of mutual trust.
Trust is an essential element in your success story!
Because trust is so important, you must always remember these two things:
- First of all, building trust takes time – a lot of time in fact – but you can also lose trust very quickly. Afford it the same protection as you would any other precious asset.
- Secondly, it’s not about words but deeds. Remember the old saying, “walk the talk.” You can build trust by saying what you do and doing what you say.
When it comes to being a successful team leader, there are few things as essential as trust. If the team trusts you and each other, it will perform at a higher level.
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