Building trust and credibility in teams

Nowadays in the changing environment hot topic in #leadership coaching world is how to be a good leader. And when I ask my clients "What is a good leader?" I often hear a general answer that a good leader is someone who is trusted by his people.

How to build trust and credibility in teams?

To build trust and credibility with employees first the leader has to define what #trust and credibility are for his company and employees and what is the measurable evidence that it’s there.

• What does trust mean in our organisation/team?

• How do people demonstrate trust?

• What are some red flags that indicate that trust is not there?

• What are the competencies the leader has to demonstrate to be trustworthy?

The second step would be to become aware what is the current situation compared to desired outcomes and, thirdly, brainstorm on possible solutions to improve trust and credibility.

• What does ideal trust look like? What is a trust 10 out of 10?

• Where is the trust in our organisation/team on a scale from 1 to 10?

• What evidence of trust do we already have in our organisation/team?

• What is missing? What do we need to see to be at the 10?

• How can we get there?

• What competencies, skills, and attitudes the leader or team has to develop to demonstrate more trust?

• What supportive environment is needed to nourish more trust in the organisation or team?

• What action steps will take us towards the desired outcome?

This is a general approach or the thinking process to start working on the topic of trust within the team and organisation.

Of course, there are plenty of leadership development courses and books you can study to get ideas on what specific actions you can take to create an environment for trustful relationships and what competencies, skills, or attitudes shall be encouraged in the team to achieve the desired result.

However, each organisation, team, and leader is different and hence the formula for success also will be different. Engage your people and come up with your success formula to create a healthier and more productive work environment.

Examples of building trust and credibility in teams

To share some examples from my practice, when clients bring to session topics related to trust and credibility, we often discover that the reason for that is that the company is going through some kind of reorganisation and there is uncertainty.

In these cases, leaders sometimes are not equipped with the best communication strategies – how and when to communicate what is happening in the company and what impact will it have on employees. Therefore, what works well, is to manage expectations when important decisions will be made, reassurance ("I got you!"), and clarity on what is within the zone of control and influence of the particular leader.

In other cases, trust and credibility are not there yet for first-time leaders, leaders who have joined a new company or changed teams. Then it’s a matter of time and setting smaller milestones – to demonstrate to employees that the leader is trustworthy and competent. Sometimes it requires building confidence and finding the best communication strategies to be heard and respected.

And yes, there are also cases when people are great as specialists, but they are not great as a leaders. Not everyone is made to lead others and it is ok not to want it. Then the question is - how the individual can keep growing as a professional within the organisation without a need to lead others. Because being in the right place, in the right role, and doing things that one loves will largely contribute to creating trust in people around.

Let me know your thoughts and what challenges related to great #leadership you encounter in your organisation!