6 ways to create trust at work and why it’s important

Even with all the changes that have taken place in the world of work lately, some things will never change: People need to be able to trust one another if they are to succeed as employees, team members or partners. Trust is something that can be developed over time and cannot be rushed.

An untrusting work environment can have a negative impact on the business as well as your day-to-day life at work. If you don’t feel like you trust your co-workers, it could negatively impact your performance and productivity as well as your happiness at work.

Fortunately, there are several things you can do to help build trust in the workplace so that everyone feels comfortable coming forward with their ideas, concerns, or feedback.

Why does trust matter?

A strong workplace culture can make all the difference in how well a company performs. When employees feel they can trust their coworkers and leaders, they’re more likely to work hard and are also more likely to be engaged in the workplace.

Employees who feel that they are valued are more likely to be motivated to perform well. The workplace must be open, transparent, and welcoming for all employees. An employer who is loved by its workers will have a much more loyal workforce with fewer turnover and other issues.

As a result of this, a strong workplace culture can lead to better engagement and increased productivity. This results in increased revenue for all businesses because employees are more engaged, which leads to higher morale and higher levels of performance.

1. Communicate and be transparent

Communication is key to building trust in the workplace, but it’s also something many people struggle with when they first start working with a new team.

If you’re a manager, you have a special responsibility to demonstrate a commitment to transparency in the way you manage your team. A lack of transparency can be one of the most significant roadblocks to building trust among team members, especially if you’re managing a remote team.

Even if you communicate face-to-face with your team members every day, you should still be transparent about how you make decisions and what factors impact your decision-making process. This helps prevent misunderstandings and shows team members that they have a voice in the workplace.

2. Celebrate small wins together

One of the best ways to build trust among team members is to celebrate the small wins you make together. Whether you’re launching a new product, completing a major project, or even just working together to successfully meet a team member’s goals, small wins deserve to be celebrated as much as major milestones.

When you celebrate your small wins publicly, it not only helps you acknowledge the progress you are making together as a team, but it also helps build trust among team members.

Celebrating small wins also gives you an opportunity to help team members who are shy about speaking up or sharing their ideas, feel more included in the workplace.

If a team member has an idea that helped contribute to one of your small wins, you can help boost their confidence by celebrating their contribution in front of the team.

3. Be responsive to feedback

One of the best ways to show your team members that you trust them is to be responsive to their feedback. Whether you’re managing a remote or co-located team, you should encourage your team members to regularly share feedback with you.

If you’re only responding to positive feedback or ignoring negative feedback, you may be giving your team members the impression that you don’t trust them to be honest with you.

If you receive negative feedback, you can still use it to improve yourself and the work environment, but you should also respond to it in a way that respects the person giving the feedback.

4. Have a collaborative workspace

A great way to show your team members that you trust them is to have an open, collaborative workspace that allows for easy communication between team members.

This doesn’t just mean having a non-private office; it also means having an open-door policy, sharing your goals and strategies with your team members, and celebrating the ideas and contributions that come from your team.

If you want to demonstrate that you trust your team members, you should also trust them enough to give them the freedom to work on their work as they see fit. This could mean letting your team members decide how they want to schedule their work, what tools they want to use, and where they want to work.

This also means that you shouldn’t be micromanaging your team members. Micromanagement can be a sign that you don’t trust your team members to do their jobs well.

5. Hold regular team-building activities

Regular team-building activities are a great way to show your coworkers that you trust them and that you value the contributions that each team member brings to the table.

You don’t have to plan an extravagant activity every week, but even something as simple as bringing in food from a team member’s hometown or having a team-building afternoon at your office’s favorite coffee shop can go a long way towards building trust.

When planning your team-building activities, remember that not everyone is going to enjoy the same activities. While it’s important to consider the overall team when deciding what activities to hold, it’s also important to show that you trust your team by letting them decide whether they want to participate.

6. Recognize the value of diversity

Diversity on the team doesn’t just mean having people who come from different backgrounds and ethnicities. It also means having employees who have different skill sets, thought processes, and ways of completing tasks.

By having a team built up of people with different strengths and ways of thinking, you increase the potential value that your team can bring to a project or task.

Diversity also leads to the creation of innovative ideas and a more inclusive work culture. When you let people know how important their feedback and thoughts are, they feel more comfortable and willing to speak their mind.

Conclusion

When it comes to the workplace, trust is a critical element. You can’t expect your team members to do their best work if they don’t trust you or feel like they’re not part of the team. Fortunately, there are several ways you can build trust in the workplace.

Communicate, celebrate small wins together, be responsive to feedback, have a collaborative workspace, and hold regular team-building activities. You can also recognize the value of diversity and use these strategies to help build trust.

💡You might love your job but not all of your coworkers or boss. This can affect your motivation and job performance. So what can you do to fix the situation? Read more here →