Old thoughts would have you believe that running a good ship has to be done with an iron fist, but that is far from the truth. We will show you exactly how you should be building trust as a manager and how to have your staff follow you willingly and without resentment.
Be a Manager of Your Word
There is nothing worse than a leader who continuously makes promises he can’t or won’t keep. Whether it is due to forgetfulness, disorganization, or blatant lack of concern, standing behind your word is and has always been the first and most important key to building trust.
Communication Is Key
Talking to your employees about standards, expectations, and goals you have for them and the company, builds trust as a manager. Make yourself available to employees when they need to talk and listen to hear, not to reply. The more open people feel to talk the more they will feel safe and trust that they work for people who truly care.
Grow
When your people see you grow and seek personal development they will not only follow your example but will notice you care enough to invest in yourself. Developing these habits is necessary to build trust as a manager.
Stay Consistent
Consistency is something human beings need to feel safe and thrive in any of their environments. It is hard to trust something or someone when you never know what’s coming next. Stay consistent with your values, your goals, work schedules, etc so your people don’t go into survival mode and feel like they have to protect their interests.
Stand By Your Values
Knowing what and why you believe what you believe is extremely important. What is it that you feel so strongly about that you will not compromise in the face of adversity? The people around you see that you stand by your values and that ultimately builds trust as a manager.
Defend Your People
If you think back to when you were a kid, do you remember the feeling of your parent sticking up for you? Or maybe you don’t have that memory and the worst feeling was when your parents didn’t have your back? A manager who defends his or her people is a gem and builds trust almost instantaneously.
If a customer comes in and speaks harshly to your employees, defend them. Abusive language is not worth the money. Workers who trust you and feel valued are priceless and they shouldn’t be taken for granted.