Trust. It's a term we hear every day, in a variety of circumstances.
In the professional world, he has garnered a lot of attention to explain the motivation and commitment of employees and has a lot to do with the success of teams.
Who does not remember the feeling of increased duty when a manager says “I trust you on this” during their first job? Or a form of frustration when a work you've produced is checked four times after you've done it?
This is even more true for young people who feel the need to acquire this confidence, to “prove themselves”. Some, recently graduated, have entered the workforce by being a good part of the time at a distance, reinforcing this phenomenon and their difficulty in gaining the trust of their peers or managers.
However, everyone in the business would benefit from trusting by default, especially remotely.
Trust is a driver
The Harvard Business Review identifies several aspects related to trust in the professional world: trust in performance, and in “principles.”
In performance, it is a question of whether the teams will “follow”.
This question is even trickier remotely, where you can't directly access colleagues in the office next door. This doubt is accentuated for young recruits whose guarantees concerning their good knowledge of the company are less certain.
On this subject, it is vital to share knowledge, and to streamline communication — see our article on the subject.
The challenge for managers is to build a relationship of mutual trust: to give teams the space to raise their doubts and fears, in order to remove them and allow them to give the best of themselves.
There is also the question of the capacity for discernment.
Do I trust this person on my team enough to allow them to decide for me?
Discernment is a muscle, trust is its energy
The more autonomy we leave to employees, the more they will be trained to make good decisions.
Again, reassuring teams — a mistake is not inevitable, and can serve as a lesson — supporting them in these decisions is essential.
To do this, creating team moments and getting together to share feedback is crucial.
Finally, performance is also based on the employee's ability to represent the company: do I have enough confidence in this employee to let him go to this appointment for me?
If not, invest in training, coach, and ask yourself why you can't. Is he or is she really the subject? Are you able to delegate? Conducting several appointments together can reassure you — them and you — on this point.
Trust in principles is more subtle: does my team respect the founding principles of our team and our company?
To enable employees to thrive, it is essential to establish a healthy framework, mutual respect, and an appropriate level of confidentiality about what can be said.
From a distance, maintaining this balance can be more complex. Again, encouraging moments of conviviality and collaboration in teams is crucial, and will consolidate and fuel this trust.
Trust benefits all stakeholders
Everyone grows trust: by giving it to your employees, you empower them, and make them want to surpass themselves and become better.
Working from home requires trust more than ever. Teams are for a lot even more productive remotely, they still need to be given the opportunity to develop there.
To find out more and to be supported in setting up a work organization that corresponds to your company, make an appointment with someone from the team!
