Do you Trust Others? Ways to Earn your Teams Trust...!!

To Trust is Human...!!

Throughout our whole life, we have always sought answers. From Global issues to local and country’s political issues to our friend’s and closed one’s daily struggles – our restless mind has worried, questioned, and wondered... And we can not really stop it… Because.. “We Care.”

Since past four decades, trust has been exaggerated as the most powerful lubricant that keeps the economy turning and greases all the right connections. It has fallen flat with a $65 Billion “Ponzy Scheme” – One of the largest and most successful in History. The person behind this was “Bernard Madoff.” On the outset, Madoff possessed all the bona fides - the record, the résumé, the expertise, and the social connections, but the fact that so many people including some big financial experts and business leaders were lulled into this false sense of security while dealing with Madoff has given us a question – “Why are we so prone to Trusting?”

Madoff was not the only one to pull the wool... There are Enron, WorldCom, Tyco, Harshad Mehta and all other scams of the past. Perhaps, “There is a problem with how we trust”?

That brings to the phrase that I have started this Article – To Trust is Human...

It all starts with the brain. Because of our large brains, we humans are born physically premature and highly dependent on concierges. Because of this – we are called “Hardwired” to make connections. There is an evidence for this – within few hours of birth, human infant actually mimic mother’s expressions.

In nutshell – from the get-go, we are born to be engaged and to engage others – which is what “Trust is all about.” This has been an advantage for our struggle to survive. Research has also shown that our brain chemistry governing our emotions has also a role play in trust.

Where does these all research lead us to?

It shows that it does not take much to tip us towards trust. People may say that they do not have a lot of trust in others, but their behaviours tell us a quite different story. Actually, trust is our default position in many ways, we trust routinely, reflexively, and somewhat mindlessly across broad range of situations.

We are no more likely to ask ourselves how trusting we are at any given moment than to inquire if gravity is still keeping the planets in orbit. This tendency is called “Presumptive Trust” to capture the idea that we approach many situations without any suspicion.

With that – the question is - Why are some people more successful than others ?

The answer is – People have to constantly reinforce their trustworthiness.

Trust has been often talked about as the bedrock of a company’s success. Most companies and enterprises think about the issue in terms of customers - They have to believe in you and your products and services. But trust within the organization is just as important: Your employees must believe in each other. When they do not, communication, teamwork and performance inevitably suffer.

“Managers will never learn the truth about a company unless they have employees’ trust” explains Jim Dougherty, a senior lecturer at MIT Sloan School of Management and veteran software CEO.

How can one achieve Trustworthiness?

Here is how –

Make a Connection - One of the most effective trust-building strategies is to create a personal connection. “As a person’s power increases, their perceived trustworthiness goes down,” says DeSteno¹. They seem less reliant on others and therefore less trustworthy. Counteract this view by getting to know the people on your team and letting them get to know you. Do something that makes them believe that you are one of them,” says Jim Dougherty (a senior lecturer at MIT Sloan School of Management). That signals that “even though you are the boss, in the end you’re all in this together.”

Be Transparent – Share as much as you can about current and future goals of your company. If not – one will fine himself/herself constantly battling the rumour mongers. In case of void of information, employees will fill it and they will always fill it with negative information. Of course, there are some data points that you can not share but a regular download of other information shows that you trust your employees and your team which in turn helps them to have greater faith. Being transparent also involves having the integrity to tell the truth, even if it means – unwelcome news. If you can not tell people the hard stuff, they won’t trust you¹.

Encourage, Not Command – one cannot succeed in the long run by telling people “What to do.” We have to motivate them to do it. When people feel empowered to succeed and believe that the goals of the company are aligned with their own goals and aspirations, they will work harder and smarter.

Take Blame but give Credit - “The best wat to get people behave well is to give credit” says Jim Dougherty. This reinforces the sense that people are working towards shared goals rather than simply for the boss’s personal agenda.

No Favouritism – “Any time there is favouritism, people will see it” says Jim Dougherty. If one treats some people better than others, he/she will totally blow it. If one always gives certain employees information or assignments first, everything else they do to build trust will be undermined. One also must avoid badmouthing at all costs, because it sends the signal that your public and private personas diverge. People need to know that they are dealing with the true you.

Bottom line is simple – If you are not good at your job – forget about earning that “Trust.” People may like you only if you are competent to be trusted. That means regularly updating your skills and avoid trying to be an expert in all things. Emphasize what you have in common — it helps people believe that their goals are aligned with yours.

¹ David DeSteno is a professor of psychology at Northeastern University and the author of The Truth About Trust