MIDWEEK INSPIRATION

Four Tips to Build Trust

by Laurie Wilhelm

Trust is a fundamental element of any relationship. For teams, those that function the best tend to have a healthy level of trust between the team leader and the team members. Here are four tips to enhance trust in your relationships:

1. Keep Everyone's Best Interest in Mind

While team leaders are evaluated on the results produced by the teams they lead, it's important that the leader demonstrate to the team that their work isn't just for her to earn a good performance appraisal. If the members perceive that the leader is using them to achieve her own ends, then resentment, distrust and disloyalty will start brewing within the team. And that's never good.

Everyone has a role and an interest in the success of the team. The leader needs to focus on the interest of each member as well as her needs for her job and career. There has to be a fair balance between the two.

2. Keep Everyone in the Know

People are affected both by the information they have as well as by not having enough information. When they don't have enough information, they tend to "make it up" thus creating a whole host of problems. When the team leader is open by maintaining good, two-way communication and explaining problems and decisions he builds confidence and increase the trust within the team.

3. Be Fair
Members have to know that decisions are made objectively, evaluations are balanced and rewards are distributed without bias. Favouritism undermines equality and fairness. Team leaders need to create an environment that consistently values equality, objectivity and fairness in order to build and reinforce stability and confidence among members.

4. Be Reliable
If you say you're going to do something, then do it. If circumstances change and it turns out that you can no longer do what you said you would, then let the team know you can't do it and why (to the best of your ability keeping in mind confidentially issues). When members are confident that you will uphold your word they know they can depend and rely on you.

It's important to note that while it takes several actions, such as the four outlined above, over a period of time to build trust, it can take only one in a very short period of time to demolish it. When you're building trust, you must protect it and constantly work on it. Trust is a very valuable relationship resource and needs to be tended to and maintained over time with thought and effort.