Ultimately, you cultivate trust by setting a clear direction, giving people what they need to see it through, and getting out of their way.
Paul J. Zak, CEO of Immersion Neuroscience, author
It’s not about being easy on your team or expecting less from them. High-trust companies hold people accountable but without micromanaging them. They treat people like responsible adults.
Takeaways of Note:
8 behaviors that foster trust:
- Recognize excellence – has the largest effect on trust when it occurs immediately after a goal has been met, when it comes from peers, and when it’s tangible, unexpected, personal, and public.
- Induce “challenge stress” – only works if challenges are attainable & have a concrete end point; leaders should check in frequently to assess progress and adjust goals that are too easy or out of reach.
- Allow discretion in how people do their work – being trusted to figure things out is a big motivator; (1) autonomy, (2) oversight & risk management procedures, (3) post project debriefs.
- Enable job crafting – trust team members to choose which projects they’ll work on, they’ll focus their energies on what they care about most.
- Share information broadly – uncertainty about the company’s direction leads to chronic stress; openness is the antidote; ongoing communication is key.
- Intentionally build relationships – when people intentionally build social ties at work, their performance improves; when people care about one another, they perform better because they don’t want to let teammates down.
- Facilitate whole-person growth – help people develop personally as well as professionally; assessing personal growth includes discussions about work-life integration, family, and time for recreation and reflection.
- Show vulnerability – ask for help from colleagues instead of just telling them to do things; it taps into the natural human impulse to cooperate with others.
Bonus Nuggets
