Why building trust should be your team’s next big priority

Phil Jackson once said, “Good teams become great when members trust each other enough to give up ‘me’ for ‘we’.” individual taxpayers they may have. (Although having Michael Jordan on your team does aid.)

Today, with so many people working in a hybrid or virtual team, it’s more important than ever to focus on building and maintaining trust. And luckily, business leaders are taking notice. according to a deloitte survey61.3% of C-suite executives say their organization will work to improve trust levels with key stakeholders in the coming year.

Why is trust in a team important today?

In general, employees have different job expectations than they did in the past. It used to be the norm for a person to spend all or most of their career in a company. They were largely motivated by good benefits and a steady paycheck. But while fair compensation is still important for younger generations, millennials and Gen Z employees tend to value more having a sense of purpose at work and belonging to a team where they feel valued and valued. respected.

The workforce has discovered that we shouldn’t be miserable at work, and we can choose to be part of a support team that consists of people we can trust.

Benefits of Greater Confidence in the Workplace

Trust isn’t just some nebulous or nice platitude for HR leaders to put on the careers page of their website. A high level of trust in a team is a real feeling that can be measured, and studies show that organizations that have it are more successful.

According to a study by Paul Zak published in the Harvard Business ReviewCompared with people at low-trust companies, employees at high-trust companies reported:

• 74% less stress
• 106% more energy at work
• 50% more productivity
• 13% fewer sick days
• 76% more participation
• 29% more satisfaction with their lives
• 40% less exhaustion

When people work with colleagues they trust, they also collaborate more and solve problems better. They also feel more psychologically secure. In a study of Workforce Institute55% of employees said that trust directly affects their mental health.

Oh, and what about young professionals wanting to find purpose at work? In his research, Zak also found that employees at high-trust organizations were 70% more aligned with his company’s purpose.

Types of trust in the team

Each type of relationship in an organization requires a different type of trust. Employees need to trust their peers, managers, and leadership teams. Managers must trust their direct reports. Teams need to collectively trust other teams with which they collaborate.

For this article, we will look specifically at the two types of trust that are most relevant at the individual team level: trust between manager and employee, and trust between coworkers and team members.

Manager-employee trust

Trust is a two-way street, especially when it comes to the relationship between an employee and their manager. Managers must trust their people to get the job done and manage their own time (the antithesis of micromanaging), and employees must trust that their manager has their back.

The employee-manager relationship is a major driver of employee engagement and one of the top reasons people decide to leave or stay with a company. Unfortunately, according to a study by crucial learning, there is a lack of trust among many employees and managers. According to his research, nearly half of employees (47%) don’t feel safe sharing their frustrations or trusting their manager and don’t trust their manager to stand up for them.

Managers who trust their employees to make decisions, manage their own workloads, and explore new ideas and opportunities lead more creative and productive teams. And in turn, those employees have greater trust in their managers.

Investing in manager training and coaching is a critical area that many organizations need to focus on so that managers gain the skills they need to lead more effectively.

Trust between co-workers/team

As your football coach taught you, there is no me on the team. Coworkers must trust each other to get things done and to contribute.

A strong sense of trust among coworkers is a critical component of high-performing teams. It fosters a sense of psychological safety, in which team members feel safe to share opinions, take risks, and ask for help without fear of negative repercussions. In his research, Zak found that employees at high-trust organizations felt 66% closer to their colleagues and had more empathy for each other.

People also need to feel that they can trust their teammates, not only from a work perspective but also from a personal one. They need to feel that their peers will treat them with respect and that they can be trusted when necessary.

How to Build Trust in a Team: 6 Focus Areas

Do you want to build more confidence in your team? Whether you’re a manager or an individual contributor, these six tips for building trust in the workplace can help you start the conversation and set an example.

1. Communication. To build trust at work, do what you say and say what you mean. Whether you’re in a meeting, sending an email, or sending a private message to a colleague, be clear and thorough in your communications. (Err on the side of over-communication if you have to to make sure everyone is on the same page.)
2. Transparency. Being transparent as a manager or teammate is critical to building trust. Even if you have to tell people something they don’t want to hear, like a project is late or a dissatisfied customer, it’s much better to acknowledge it and give your team full visibility so they know what to expect.
3. Autonomy. While autonomy is essential for managers to keep their employees, it’s also good to be remembered by coworkers. Show your colleagues that you trust them to get the job done; they will feel less pressure and take more responsibility for the team’s success.
4. Personal relationships. How much do you really know about your team members? Do you spend time alone with each of them? Take time to get to know the people on your team and how you can best support them as a colleague and friend. You don’t have to be best friends, but you can build a trusting relationship.
5. Appreciation. Whether in private or public, recognition is a positive way to recognize a team member for their hard work and can build trust in a team. Even small tokens of appreciation, like greetings or high fives, can go a long way.
6. Fun! Doing non-work related team building activities is a great way to build trust and strengthen relationships in the team. (Just be careful when doing those trust drops!)

Boost confidence in the workplace with our latest guide

Trust is crucial to organizational success, and HR plays a vital role in cultivating and maintaining it. In our latest guide, The Trust Advantage: How Building Trust in the Workplace Can Boost Employee Performance, you will gain the knowledge and practical strategies to build trust within your organization. See the research behind the benefits of trust in the workplace, the role of HR in building it, and potential pitfalls to avoid.