Trust is the basis of any good relationship, especially the relationships you have with your employees. But you can’t expect employees to trust you right off the bat.
Trust takes time, intentional effort and consistency, but most importantly, trust requires the right foundation. To lay the groundwork for trust to take place, leaders must focus on building trustwillingness.
What Is Trustwillingness?
We define trustwillingness as the willingness to take a chance in believing that what you’re being told or shown is true. In other words, trustwillingness is exactly what it sounds like: the willingness to trust.
It’s important to keep in mind that trustwillingness is not trust itself but rather a gateway to trust.
The Importance of Building Trustwillingness
Trust between a leader and an employee doesn’t just happen. It’s built one interaction at a time. But for those interactions to have any effect, there needs to be one critical component present: willingness.
Trust cannot be established without a willingness to trust being established first. That is, before an employee can actually trust a leader, they must be willing to trust them. Attempting to build trust with an employee who’s completely unwilling to trust you will only waste time and energy, ultimately getting you nowhere.
When it comes to building trust, leaders can’t put the cart before the horse; they have to take the time to build trustwillingness first. By nurturing and growing an employee’s willingness to trust, leaders can create a solid foundation that will make trust not only easier to build, but more likely to last.
How to Cultivate Employee’s Willingness to Trust You as a Leader
To start building trustwillingness, leaders should:
1. Start Small
Don’t get ahead of yourself thinking you’ll be able to gain an employee’s trustwillingness in a day. It will take some time. Don’t try to force it to happen—just take it slow and start small. Show your trustworthiness in your everyday actions. Stay consistent. Demonstrate accountability. Take ownership over your own tasks. Modeling trustworthiness like this in your day-to-day can make a big difference when it comes to building trustwillingness.
2. Commit to Communicating
Having open and honest conversations can be an easy way to show employees that you’re a leader they can trust. Consider being more forthright with new information, sharing your thoughts on a project or communicating setbacks early on to showcase your transparency. Employees who know their leaders will not blindside, ignore or leave them uninformed on important decisions are much more likely to be willing to trust them.
3. Demonstrate Your Authenticity
That old adage from grade school rings true here: Be yourself. It may sound overly simplistic, but showing up in the workplace as your authentic self is a surefire way to inspire trustwillingness. Employees are more willing to trust leaders they view as genuine, so give them a chance to get to know you. Consider building a leadership brand, as it may allow you to more easily showcase who you are, what you value and how you intend to act as a leader.
4. Maintain Your Integrity
Actions speak louder than words. Let yours show your employees that you’re a dependable and honorable leader deserving of trust. Show your employees that you’ll do what you say you’re going to do when you say you’re going to do it. Following through on your word, making good on the promises you make and holding yourself accountable for failing, if and when you do, can all work wonders for building trustwillingness with employees.
Common Barriers to Trustwillingness and How to Overcome Them
More often than not, the issues that tend to keep leaders from being able to build trustwillingness boil down to the same things, but thankfully, there are ways for leaders to move past these obstacles:
· Inconsistency
Barrier: Leaders who are unpredictable, unreliable or otherwise inconsistent in their actions can make employees feel like they can’t rely on them
Solution: Practice holding yourself accountable to deliver on your promises. Admit to your team when you’ve failed to do so and commit, verbally and otherwise, to doing better
· Ineffective Change Management
Barrier: Leaders who failed to effectively guide their team through change often leave employees unsure of where they stand
Solution: Strive to keep employees well-informed, well-trained and otherwise supported during times of change. Address their questions and concerns promptly and fully
· Preferential Treatment
Barrier: Clear signs of favoritism or preferential treatment can make employees feel leaders act unfairly or lack impartiality
Solution: Level the playing field. Give equal opportunities to every team member. Advocate for inclusivity and equality. Set and communicate expectations amongst the team
· Lack of Support
Barrier: If in times of need, leaders who are either unavailable or unwilling to help isolate their employees
Solution: Provide the proper information and resources they need to succeed in a task or in their role. Let your team know when they can expect you to be available for additional support
· Past Experiences
Barrier: Employees may have had previous negative experiences with leaders or organizations that have led them to be less trusting
Solution: Empathize with them. Show them you understand and reassure them you intend to create a safe space for them. Encourage them to share feedback so you can make work more collaborative and accommodating.
As a leader, if you want to build trust, you have to be willing to do the work upfront to encourage employees to be willing to trust you. Start building trustwillingness and take the first step towards building trust that will last.
Start Building Trustwillingness With CLS
If you’re curious to learn more about trustwillingness, why not explore our course, Building Trust? It dives deeper into the concept of trustwillingness and covers proven methods and strategies for building trust designed to stand the test of time.