Executives and managers invest a lot of effort and time building trust in their teams: both establishing trust in their employees and ensuring that their employees trust them in return. But many employees say they do not feel trusted by their managers. And when employees don’t feel trusted, workplace productivity and engagement often suffer. It’s up to managers to signal trust in their employees in consistent and thoughtful ways.
Want Your Employees to Trust You? Show You Trust Them
Here’s how to do it.
July 05, 2017
Summary.
A gap in trust between managers and employees can have profoundly negative effects on team productivity and engagement. But when people feel trusted, they tend to offer trust in return. It’s up to managers to not just trust their employees, but show that they trust them. Mutual trust requires some degree of risk-taking and reflection. The authors identify three reasons why leaders and organizations don’t demonstrate their trust in employees: lack of self-awareness, an organization that is risk-averse by design, and a bottom-line mentality. Despite these common obstacles, the authors offer several ways managers can better signal trust.
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HBR Learning
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Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Leading People. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
What you need to know about being in charge.