TMA World Viewpoint 32: Behaviours that can develop and maintain trust in the workplace

Behaviours that can Develop and
Maintain Trust in the Workplace
by Eugene Piccinini, Senior Learning Consultant

© Transnational Management Associates Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
2
The best way
to find out if you
can trust somebody is
to trust them.
Ernest Hemingway
“
”

3
Behaviours that can Develop and Maintain Trust in the Workplace
If I were to identify
the single most
important ingredient
for effective
collaboration, I
would say without
hesitation, that it
would be building
and sustaining
trust.

4
Being able to trust
someone and be
trusted by someone is
so critical that without
it, you have nothing.
At its most basic level,
trust is the confidence
people have that you
will act in their best
interest.

5
Quite simply, you get
out what you put in,
because in order to
get trust you need to
give it.
There really is no
single action that will
create trust.
Trust is built over time
by consistently
exhibiting a number of
behaviours and values.

6
Say what you mean and
mean what
you say

7
Regardless of whether you work
remotely or are co-located with
your team, if you adhere to these
golden rules, you’ll be assured of
forging and maintaining a great
collaborative relationship with your
co-workers.
So let’s take a deeper dive into
what these pillars of trust
encompass…

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Sincerity is the assessment that you are honest.
It’s about saying what you mean and meaning what you say so that
you can be believed and be taken seriously.
It also means that when you express an opinion, it is valid.
People will question your sincerity when you don’t act in accordance
with what you say.

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GOLDEN RULE 1: Building and Sustaining Trust through Sincerity
It’s very important to ensure that you are sincere in your transactions
with fellow colleagues.
A lack of sincerity is a slap in the face to anyone on the receiving end of
disingenuous behaviour. Being a sincere colleague will go a long way in
adding credibility to what you say and do.
The evaluation of how sincere you are being is that you are telling the
truth as you see it and that you actually mean what you say.
Giving people a reason to assess that you are sincere is called
congruence.

10
Internal congruence involves being honest with yourself and making
sure you believe and are committed to what you are saying.
External congruence involves being honest and straightforward with
others.
The evaluation of how sincere you are being is that you are telling the
truth as you see it and that you actually mean what you say.

11
So when focusing on
building and
sustaining trust
through sincerity,
consider the following
top tips for our first
golden rule
 Be intentional about what you say to
people
 Be intentional about what you say when
talking about your interests, beliefs and
expectations
 Check your internal congruence. Are you
being honest with yourself, making sure
you actually believe and are committed
to what you are saying?
 Are you being consistent, honest and
straightforward with others? Is what you
are saying now to your colleague
consistent with what you said to them in
the past? Check your external
congruence

12
GOLDEN RULE 2: Walk the talk
In additional to saying what you mean and meaning what you say,
being able to build and sustain trust also involves walking the talk. This
is our second golden rule.
People will immediately recognize when you advocate one value with
your words but demonstrate the opposite of that value through your
actions.
This will undermine your trustworthiness as a leader or co-worker. By
always seeking to act in a manner consistent with your words you not
only lead by example but you build trust.
Walking the talk comes down to reliability. It’s about meeting the
commitments you make and keeping to your promises.

13
And this, in itself, can provide challenges.
Indeed, a common problem with not being able to walk the talk is
overpromising.
This will automatically set you up for failure so when walking the talk,
think about how realistic it is to meet the expectations of that colleague
who wants you to fulfil a request.

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 Before responding to a request, make
sure you’re in a position to fulfil it
 Seek further clarification if you don’t
fully understand a request. Any
ambiguity may lead to a request not
being correctly fulfilled
 When offering to do something, be
clear about what it is you will do and
possibly what you won’t be doing
Consider the
following top tips,
our second golden
rule:

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GOLDEN RULE 3: Be accountable
Being accountable and demonstrating your accountability will go a long
way to sustaining trust.
It can be particularly distasteful for many when accountability is not
demonstrated.
To maintain the respect and trust of co-workers, don’t hesitate to own
your mistakes.
Contact the affected parties as soon as possible to apologize and offer
solutions for possible remedial actions.
Invite others to offer advice and provide you with their perspective on
the situation.

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GOLDEN RULE 3: Be accountable
Here are some
tips for being
accountable,
our third golden
rule:
 Stand up and be counted. If you have
been responsible for a discrepancy, don’t
be afraid to own it
 Don’t deflect or minimize a problem you
need to deal with
 Be timely and don’t drag your feet, deal
with an issue head on and in the most
constructive way possible

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GOLDEN RULE 4: Actively listen
For our fourth golden rule, I’d ask you to reflect on your listening skills,
because being a good listener can go a long way to building trust.
Taking the time to listen to understand the opinion of others
demonstrates respect and acknowledges the other person’s
perspective.
People invariably trust leaders who acknowledge their ideas and
opinions.
Listening for understanding does not mean that you must agree with
others, but it does require that you truly want to hear what others have
to say and are open to their ideas.

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GOLDEN RULE 4: Actively listen
Consider these tips
to becoming a good
listener, our fourth
golden rule:
 Don’t interrupt – avoid verbal collisions
and allow your co-worker plenty of time
to say what they need to say
 Demonstrate that you’ve understood
what has been said by paraphrasing –
restating the main elements of what you
have heard but by using different words.
This reassures the other party that you
are listening
 If relevant, ask probing questions to
demonstrate a genuine interest in the
conversation you are having

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GOLDEN RULE 5: Foster a blame-free culture
Interacting with your co-workers openly and directly builds trust and
commitment to the team.
If you are a leader, ensure you create an environment where people are
not afraid to be honest and open.
As much as accountability is a critical element to building and
sustaining trust, so is promoting an environment where if mistakes are
made, no blame is apportioned.
People make mistakes.
An honest mistake needs to be addressed in an appropriate manner.
Listen, work together to ensure there are lessons learned and provide
coaching instead of admonishment.

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GOLDEN RULE 5: Foster a blame-free culture
For golden rule
number five,
think about the
environment you
work in.
 Don’t rebuke
 Look at the source of the problem and
address in a constructive manner
 Invite honesty and make sure your
door is open

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Other top tips that will help you build and sustain trust
Meet face-to-face to build
relationships if you are
working remotely
Maintain a sense of presence
through frequent
communications and fast
responses
Work together to determine
the best way to handle
conflict on the team
Focus on establishing
relationships, and not just
assigning tasks
Recognize and celebrate the
achievements of the team
Promote a shared sense of
identity and belonging
Keep the whole project
visible to team members,
not just the part
Quickly demonstrate your
capabilities, your integrity
and your care for others

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Trust is the blood of teams –
the river that carries it along,
that pulses with life, that
brings thought and power to
everything the team attempts.
Robbins and Finley
Why Teams Don’t Work.
“
”

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Trust is such an important thing that
if you are a leader or a member of a
team, you should spend time
reflecting on what you do and what
you should do in order to create and
sustain trust.
By following our best practices, there
really should be no excuses for being
complacent about such an important
component of effective collaboration.

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25
Above all we’d like to hear from you
directly, so please don’t hesitate to send
any comments, questions or feedback
to us at: enquiries@tmaworld.com
Or visit our website:
www.tmaworld.com
About Us
Visit
www.tmaworld.com/insights
to discover the latest
thinking from our experts
on global, collaborative,
cross-cultural and virtual
working.

TMA World Viewpoint 32: Behaviours that can develop and maintain trust in the workplace

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