Trust is the glue that binds a team together. In my team building program, I spend quite some time discussing this topic with my participants. In general, trust has to be earned and like all the good things in life, it takes time and conscious effort.
How to build trust? I can think of a few practical steps that we can take to build trust with our team members such as;
1. Be an expert in what we do. Invest in building our competencies to perform our job better. Attending courses, reading books and learning from a coach are some of the things that can build our expertise in our jobs.
2. Keep a secret. When our colleague spill to us their innermost secrets, we can build trust with them by keeping that secret a secret. Do not spill out other people's secret as well as we will be perceived to be dishonest by others. Nothing breaks trust as fast as dishonesty.
3. Be a good listener. Strive to listen to others with the intend to understand, not to reply. When we listen to understand, we will see the deep desires, struggles and ambitions of our fellow colleagues. Over time, this will help us understand them better and build good working relationship.
4. Walk the talk. Between actions and words we say, people will trust actions more. So, strive to walk our talk. Be punctual, submit that report as promised and follow up on that calls.
5. Stand up for something. Create a personal mission statement and stick to it. When our colleagues see that we have values, they will tend to trust us more.
6. Don't over promise. Sometimes, at the spur of the moment, we promise others the star and moon, only to regret it later. Be extra careful when making promises. The mantra 'under promise, over deliver' may save our relationships and keep that trust blooming.
