Building trust in an organisation can be hard. It’s not something you do once, it’s an ongoing process which people often underestimate.
Here are some quick top tips on how businesses can help build trust with their people.
1. Create opportunities to listen to employees, and act on what your people are saying.
Lots of organisations create listening strategies, but the power is in action. Employees who feel that their voice matters are more likely to trust the businesses they work for.
2. Make decisions based on data.
This is especially important when a decision has a direct impact on employees. It will help you to build credibility and promotes transparency, something employees increasingly demand.
3. Be honest when things go wrong. Communicate what has happened, why, and what you’re going to do differently.
There’s no shame in getting things wrong. Some of the world's most innovative company's embrace failure. They just do it fast, capture the learnings and then do something differently, openly, honestly and at pace.
Failure goes hand in hand with creating a culture of continuous improvement. It’s not just a critical part of building trust, it can also create psychological safety and help to drive innovation.
4. Don’t isolate power; be open to feedback on leadership decisions.
Offer employees a seat at the table and welcome their feedback on decisions that impact them. Then show them how you're acting on the feedback they shared.
5. Be clear and consistent in how you behave.
Predictable behaviour and a feeling of aligned values builds trust. Be clear about the behaviours and attitudes you welcome and embrace, and live up to them at every opportunity.
6. Tell a consistent story internally and externally.
Telling an impressive story to investors or the media while painting a bleak picture for employees will ellicit challenging questions. Take the time to line up your internal and external messages before they are shared.
In large corporations building trust isn’t a nice to have. Businesses who successfully build a culture of trust will grow faster, be more innovative and embrace and encourage continuous improvement.
These are some simple ways you can start the journey. Get in touch at hello@unitedcultureco.com if you want to hear more.
