Recently I had a catch up with a teacher who was in my team at a previous school I worked at. As part of the conversation, we discussed how important it is for a leader to continuously model and demonstrate effective behaviours in any organisation whether this relates to culture, systems or wellbeing. This led me to write this article around one of the main contributors to success when leading - developing trusting relationships with others.
To start I’d like to share this quote from shame research, Dr Brené Brown.
“Trust is the glue that holds teams and organisations together”
I really like this quote however as we know a lack of trust also has the ability to quickly pull the glue or the team apart. Once this happens, regluing is very difficult especially when leading.
As part of this article, I also want to reference Patrick Lencioni and his book The Five Dysfunctions of a team. This is a worthwhile read and presents a number of ideas for leaders in any organisation.
When you read over the following information, I want you to reflect on your beliefs around trust and how these beliefs have come about.
Why are some of the barriers to developing trust in an organisation?
The fear of vulnerability: People often struggle to express how they feel because they fear being judged by others.
Consistency: Despite the fact that people claim to be completely trustworthy, they often only trust some people in an organisation.
Past experiences: Focusing on past instances where trust has been lost or broken down, can influence our present thinking. I’m sure you have looked back on times when trust has been compromised and what happened as a result.
A lack of support: Some organisations do not encourage employees to be pushed in a supportive way therefore people can often feel suppressed around their thoughts, ideas and feelings.
No clear purpose: In some organisations, the purpose or WHY is not clear. If the leader is unable to clearly see the direction the organisation is going or his or her intentions, trust can be compromised.
An absence of skills and knowledge: Unfortunately, some leaders are not equipped with the necessary skills or knowledge to manage conversations or behaviours around trust.
A need to protect yourself: When trust breaks down in an organisation as mentioned above it can be difficult to claw it back. When people lose trust, there is also a need to protect themselves.
A presence of ego: Some leaders tend to lead with egocentric capabilities and are so busy looking after themselves, their reputation and hiding their weaknesses that they fail to look after the needs of their team and organisation.
Blame: Blaming can exist in an organisation and when this way of being develops in an organisation, it can be difficult to trust people.
Not seeking help: Trust can break down when people are unwilling to ask for help and provide constructive feedback to others.
Individual vs. group needs: Often within an organisation, there is more an ‘I’ rather than a ‘we’ culture. An unwillingness to teach and support others can lead to a lack of trust.
Not collaborating effectively: Unfortunately, some people find it challenging working and collaborating with others which can lead to trust issues.
"Trust is knowing that when a team member does push you, they’re doing it because they care about the team".
- Patrick Lencioni
How can trusting relationships be established and sustained in an organisation?
For trust to really exist in an organisation, leaders must be willing to demonstrate vulnerability and avoid punishing team members who demonstrate vulnerability in their positions. Brené Brown has taught us that vulnerability is a strength.
Team members need to work in a supportive environment where they feel OK about discussing the weaknesses and mistakes they have made.
Leaders need to model and demonstrate every day the importance of asking for help when needed.
When working with teams leaders need to and accept questions and opinions around their position of responsibility. As a leader, this ensures you remain responsible and accountable.
Avoid judging team members for what they say and do as well as coming to negative conclusions. If you are doing this, it is time to take a good hard look at yourself as a leader.
Being brave, courageous and willing to take calculated risks in your organisation is sure to build relational trust.
As a leader, your responsibility is teaching and growing members of your team. This is something I focused on continuously when I was leading which led to high trust.
Utilizing other people’s skills and strengths within your organisation is a powerful strategy to develop trust.
When leading you are judged around your ability to lead robust discussions around improvement. Always remember to focus on what matters most and avoid wasting time discussing fixed mindset topics.
When was the last time you apologised or said sorry to a member of your team? They need to know that you are human and sometimes you make mistakes.
In summary, many of the strategies that have been recommended you will already be aware of however as leaders there is a real need to use these consistently if trusting relationships are to be encouraged and fostered in your organisation.
“If we don’t trust one another, then we aren’t going to engage in open, constructive, ideological conflict. And we’ll just continue to preserve a sense of artificial harmony”.
- Patrick Lencioni
If you would like to develop this thinking further within your organisation, get in touch.
sean bailey managing director – company owner m +64 21 059 8305 e sean@empoweryounz.co.nz christchurch new zealand w empoweryounz.blogspot.com
“Helping organisations thrive, by enabling and empowering leaders”
No comments:
Post a Comment