Establish and maintain trust

Trust is defined as

• assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something
• one in which confidence is placed

What’s at the core of any professional relationship? One word: trust. It’s absolutely necessary in order to establish not only your reputation, but also a strong network of people who will help you throughout your career.

It goes without saying: No one person is responsible for the success of a company; it’s a team effort. There is a tightly woven chain of events that needs to happen in any organization in order to achieve results and people are relying on each other in a workplace.

But that reliance can’t exist without trust. Co-workers will go above and beyond for people they trust. That, in turn, helps produce above-and-beyond results.

Building Trust

Give co-workers praise when it’s due –

One way to cultivate authentic relationships with your peers is to praise their work. When you give credit to others, you’re seen as gracious. However, “it has to be authentic and well timed,” says Gill. A team meeting, for example, is a natural setting to celebrate a co-worker’s big career achievement or say thank you for someone’s help with a project.

Avoid office gossip –

We know this is easier said than done, but the plain truth is office gossip can be toxic. When you’re frustrated with a co-worker, vent to someone outside the company. If you have an issue with a co-worker, try to resolve the problem with the person in private before bringing it to your boss.

Share information –

Being perceived as a team player by your co-workers builds trust, but you have to take steps to shape your image. If your goal is to help your colleagues and peers develop and succeed, you’ll build trust.

Trust others –

This sounds like a no-brainer, but if you view others as trustworthy, chances are they’ll reciprocate. Give your co-workers all the help they need from you, and then trust them to execute.

Invest in your employees’ development –

If you manage others, part of your job is to help your direct reports grow by gaining new skills and sharpening the skills they already have. To do that though, you have to provide them with honest feedback—a combination of praise and constructive criticism—on a regular basis, says Gill.

Be consistent –

Leaders want people who routinely exceed their expectations—meaning you have to produce excellent work day in and day out. No one on your team should have to wonder whether you’re going to deliver.

Not only does your performance need to be consistent, but so should your mood.

Pay attention to non-verbal communication –

Your body language can help you build trust with co-workers, but it can also undermine your efforts if you’re not careful. Research shows a slumping posture or crossed arms can turn people off. Conversely, making eye contact and nodding to show your interest can help build trust. Create a welcoming atmosphere for others so they don’t hesitate to approach you. Being open to your co-workers will make them feel invited to share ideas and feedback with you.

Principles to Earn Trust

Do:

• Emphasize what you have in common — it helps employees believe that their goals are aligned with yours
• Share whatever information you can — when people feel trusted, they’ll trust you back
• Admit mistakes and accept responsibility

Don’t:

• Give orders — motivating employees to succeed on their own will earn you trust
• Badmouth anyone — people will automatically assume you’ll also speak poorly of them when their backs are turned
• Fake knowledge — employees need to see you are competent enough to admit what you don’t know