When you exchange pleasantries with a co-worker in the elevator, the two of you are building trust. When you stop by a colleague’s office and see their family photographs on a desk, you learn about that person’s life outside the office and, as a result, usually feel closer. Face-to-face meetings, office parties, and opportunities to socialize together after working hours can all contribute to the feeling that your fellow employees will be reliable in what they say and do and that they will act for the good of the team and the organization. You believe they are trustworthy because you’ve developed this feeling over time.
How to Build Trust with Colleagues You Rarely See
What globally dispersed teams need to know.
January 29, 2018
Summary.
Building trust is key to success for any organization. But that can be tricky when it comes to colleagues that you only interact with virtually. What does it take to build trust when you can’t meet in person? In this piece, the author suggests that professionals should focus on cultivating two types of trust — swift trust and passable trust — to become more familiar with one another. In addition, they should develop two types of knowledge — direct and reflected — to learn both about the behavioral norms of their distant colleagues (and how their own norms might appear to others). With a greater understanding of these different types of trust and knowledge, both managers and employees can work together to improve morale.
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Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Writing Skills. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Capture your audience's attention with smarter emails, Slacks, memos, and reports.