People value and trust consistency in action and response. They will trust your directions more and question you less in uncertain times when they conclude that you know what you are doing.īe consistent. Would you blindly follow someone out of a burning building if you were convinced that he had no idea where he was going? Why would you expect employees to trust a minimally competent manager to provide direction? They want to know what you can talk about, and they want to conclude that you are telling them the truth rather than spinning the message for your sole benefit or for that of the company.Īnd, a reputation for listening and actually caring about what others are saying builds trust. Your team knows that there is information you cannot share. Create opportunities to communicate expectations clearly, and build a shared understanding of priorities. For example, if you tell your team that being at work on time is important, address the chronically late team member.Ĭommunicate. Calling others out on failed promises helps instill trust. If you promise to run interference for your team, make sure your sense of urgency matches theirs and report the results. If you can't meet a promised deadline, tell employees in advance. This is an easy concept that requires a great deal of discipline to execute.

But a habit of not following through tells people that you can't be trusted. Most employees understand that sometimes circumstances prevent you from keeping a commitment. Mistrust arises when managers don't do what they said they would do. Here are six actions you can take to demonstrate your good intentions:įollow through. Trust lies at the heart of every strong relationship. While you may think you are a trustworthy manager, your actions may communicate otherwise to your employees.

Others-not knowing those intentions-evaluate us on their perceptions of our behavior and performance. Exhibiting low or diminishing commitment and engagement.Acting inconsistently with the organization's values.Protecting their self-interest at the expense of the team or organization.Persistently questioning goals, strategies, actions and decisions.Withholding information and using selective communication.The words 'I don't trust you' may not be said out loud, but you may be facing a lack of trust if employees are:

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