A business leader’s ability to inspire and motivate their employees is based on trust and security. When people trust a business, they feel confident in the business owner’s decisions and suggestions and even during times of uncertainty, the business owner’s leadership will influence them. That is because they trust you and they expect you will follow through with what you have said you will do. Taking key steps to creating an environment of trust and security in the workplace is essential to the success of any type of business.
Ensuring that your words are in alignment with your actions is key in building trust and security in the workplace. Research indicates that employees say that what leaders say and do is what has the most impact on their perception of the organization they are employed with. When there is a disconnect between an organization leader’s words and actions, staff members are less likely to become engaged and remain committed to the organization. Actions matter more if you want to earn the trust of employees and keep them engaged. Starting with the leader, it requires the involvement at every level of the organization in order to create a deep bond of believability that motivates the employees to put forth the effort that is needed to make the business a success.
Key Steps to Create an Environment of Trust and Security
Understanding the Necessity of Trust
The first key step to creating an environment of trust and security in the workplace is acknowledging that building trust takes hard work and focused efforts. Trust has to be earned and it comes from conscious effort to follow through with what you say you will do.
The next key steps to creating an environment of trust and security in the workplace are to be honest and supportive. Even when it is difficult, you must tell the truth and not just when it relates to things you know people want to hear. Make every effort to understand what employees need to know and communicate facts clearly while being considerate of their efforts and while being reasonably sensitive to their feelings. Showing support for your staff and your team members, even when mistakes are made, goes a long way as it pertains to building trust as the leader of an organization.
Demonstrate Sincere Commitment
Committing to follow through is another of the key steps to creating an environment of trust and security in the workplace. Saying you will do something is only worth as much as the follow through. If there is a chance that you will not be able to deliver, then do not commit to something. Failing to follow through on your word can destroy the trust that has been built and make people less inclined to trust you again in the future.
Consistency is also critical when discussing key steps to creating an environment of trust and security in the workplace. Consistently following through with what you say you will do builds trust over time. It can’t be something that is done on occasion. It must be consistent. Keeping commitments must be at the very center of your behaviors, in all relationships, on a daily basis and year after year in order to build and maintain the trust of your team members.
Leading by Example
Leading by example is another of the key steps to creating an environment of trust and security in the workplace. Nothing is more representative of the culture of an organization than the behavior of the leader of it, who has the most influence with regard to employee action and influence on driving their results. If you say that teamwork is important, then reinforce that point by collaborating across individual teams within the organization and across various functions of the organization. It is also important to give credit when team members do great work and you will set the stage for a very appreciative culture by recognizing their efforts.
Building accountability is also a critical component. When you and other leaders of organizations acknowledge your errors as well as your successes, employees see you as credible and will follow your lead. You can best encourage honest dialogue and foster accountability within the organization by building in processes that become important aspects of the culture, such as evaluation of projects (positive attributes, as well as negative ones and elements that need modification) and next steps in meeting agendas to help track deadlines and milestones.
Following these key steps to creating an environment of trust and security in the workplace will help to improve morale and, ultimately, help to guarantee a business’ success.
