Building Trust: How to Cultivate a Culture of Credibility
When it comes to your employees, what do you value most? Sure, they have to be hardworking and dedicated, and industry expertise or attention to detail certainly doesn’t hurt. Above all, though, you must be able to trust the people you work with— just like they have to be able to trust you to guide, support and train them to be the best staff they can be.
Creating a culture of credibility is crucial in any company. A culture of credibility refers to a professional working atmosphere that prioritizes trust, integrity and accountability. When entire teams and staff function in this way, operations can see better alignment among organizational goals and more trust between team members, contributing to better results.
Develop a Culture of Credibility With the Three C’s
Leading by example is the best way to create a culture of credibility. Nearly everything you do in the workplace can influence how your staff functions and the three C’s of credibility are a great place to start building the foundation:
- Competence: By presenting yourself as a competent professional who cares about their work, you encourage your team to do the same and present their best selves at all times.
- Character: What do you value? How do you approach problems? Do you stay honest and transparent about your motivations? When you are open about these aspects of yourself, you invite the people around you to do the same. Showing your character, whether that means being vulnerable or breaking the ice with a good joke, encourages others to be who they are, and your work will benefit accordingly.
- Compassion: Also known as “caring,” this C is about how you deal with others. When someone comes to you with questions, how do you treat them? Do you care about your employees’ lives and make an effort to learn about them? Compassion can go a long way in how people perceive you — and how they’ll respond in the future.
Overcoming Challenges in Building Credibility
Building credibility in the workforce is a group effort, and everyone, from the highest levels of your organization to the newest hires, has to be on the same page to present the company image you want. Changes like this have to start with your leaders— when they work to overcome common credibility challenges, others will start to follow their lead and build their own credibility.
Lead by Example
Your team members look to you to know how to respond in unexpected situations. Consider the traits you hope to see in your staff, then focus on exemplifying them and watch morale grow across the board.
Communicate With Transparency
Above all else, leaders should strive to be as open and honest with their staff as possible. While you may not be able to tell them everything happening within your company, share any relevant, non-sensitive information or updates that may affect them as soon as possible. This fosters a community of sharing, which your staff will pass on.
Resolve Workflow Misalignments
Issues within the workforce affect more than just the people involved. Over time, they can grow to impact entire teams, departments and even the clients they serve. Whether the issues are interpersonal between staff or part of your operations, smoothing them out can leave a lasting impact across your entire company.
Acknowledge Mistakes and Take Accountability
Even the best leaders make mistakes—what really matters is how you react to them. Are you willing to step up and take responsibility for your actions? While this may feel like admitting failure, it shows that you are capable of admitting when you’re wrong and committed to doing better the next time. It also proves that mistakes are not something to hide or cover up but rather opportunities to reevaluate and grow, teaching your team to view their own mistakes as lessons to improve.
Be Willing to Listen
One of the best ways leaders can improve is by hearing others’ needs and adapting to them. Addressing teams directly or inviting their feedback can highlight areas you may not realize are an issue.
These first-hand insights give you opportunities to adjust and show others that you’re willing to work with them, which will encourage them to do the same. Furthermore, adding active listening as a key feature of your company culture can only benefit your client-facing interactions. The more experience your staff gains in the office with listening to others, the more they can pass that on to every other conversation they engage in.
Establish Credibility With The Center for Leadership Studies
Discover the key to developing credibility when you sign up for our Building Trust course or contact us to learn more.
This course will help you learn how to lay the foundation of trust and build on it everyday, elevating connection and performance. When your team knows they have leaders to rely on, you’ll see innovation grow and stress recede. Take the next step in your business’s future and design a culture of credibility today.