TRUST ME – Restore Confidence & Belief in an Uncertain World will be out soon. I’m excited to share one of the stories from the book. It’s chock a block full of great advice and stories.
If a group member shares information and other members reciprocate in kind, the team performs better, and it shows in the work they produce.
What happens when each member holds on to critical information, and everyone has to dig around to find the answers to a question? Later it’s found out that one member of the team knew all along and didn’t share the information! Now imagine asking that team member why they didn’t share and being told: “No one asked me.”
As a leader, have your team share their areas of expertise and key information, so others know where to get critical information. We trust others who are willing to share and cooperate.
If you’re building a trust culture, be aware that people will repay trust with trust. Smart leaders know this. Picture being told by your boss on the first day of your job, “I’ve heard great things about you, and completely trust that you’ll do an amazing job.” How hard will you work to live up to that expectation?!
Compare that to the ground zero trust expectation of, “I don’t trust anyone when they start. You’ll have to prove you can be trusted.”
I’ve worked for both, and I can tell you that I blossomed with the first boss, and withered with the second.
Trust is like a game of tennis — it can only continue when it goes back and forth between players. In a healthy trust relationship, we trust and are trusted to the same degree.