Blog 27:  The one most important thing you can do that makes the biggest impact – build trust.  Part 2.  How do I build it into my daily routines?

Building trust is a process.  Trust results from consistent and predictable interaction over time.
©A-Z quotes

Last week we promised a deeper dive into Browning’s 10 trust practices (from Compelling Leadership) to give you some practical, everyday examples of what implementing trust looks like.  There are a lot of ideas in the ‘grab bag’ table that follows.  Just take the ones that fit your situation, the best, and slowly implement them into your work habits.  OK, let’s look for practical things you can do on any one day to build trust. . .

Admit mistakes-You’ll make them, that’s for sure.  How do you use them to build others around you? 
-Try to find platforms where you can share your growth through mistakes.  It may be a weekly e mail you send out to your team or in a regular briefing session you have.  Show you recognize your errors. 
-Set the pace for others and lead by showing you self-assess hard.  Show how you grow through your mistakes (Blog 6). 
-Find that balance between recognising the weight and cost of your mistake while not taking yourself too seriously. 
-Laugh at your imperfections while being sincere and explain (where you can) where you have made a mistake. 
-Be real, genuine, and honest with your communication. 
Offer trust – trusting people to do their role-No micro-managing. 
-Aim to bring out the best in those around you (and those in your team).  To bring out the best in your team you’ll need to give them space and the opportunity to learn from their mistakes (just like you do).  Demonstrate your confidence in those around you and look for the best. 
-A word of warning:  Know that when you trust people you will get burnt . . . so trust people anyway. It’s where they flourish.
Active listening-When you get the chance to listen, listen. 
-Be a student of active listening and exercise that.  Be present and let the person feel they are the only one that is important in the listening moment. 
-Be curious – seek to learn and understand.
Affirmation-Look for the good around you and acknowledge that. 
-Set yourself a target to handwrite several short positive notes each week (each one may only be two to three sentences long) to those who work with you, who are in your circle.  Pop it on their desk when they are not around – give them a surprise and a lift in their day.
Decision making-Avoid making captains calls, be collaborative.  Involve others and seek to understand positions different to your own . . . show you value their position (even if you don’t implement their point of view). 
-Make informed decisions. 
-If a decision is due by a certain time – meet that deadline and if not, explain what has occurred. 
-Explain decisions – TIB (This Is Because) should be a key part of your working rhythm where you explain your decisions. 
Visibility-Don’t stay anchored in your office.  How visible can you be?  Take time to walk the floor and see others in their space. 
-Try to dedicate a small amount of time each year to taking those who work for you out for coffee or work-shadow them.  It may only take half an hour, but it will show they matter. 
-If you lead in a multi campus organisation, get out to learn what is happening at the other centres and meet staff in their space. 
-Position yourself in a certain space at a regular time each week so others can find you when they want to talk to you (maybe a lunch room, or at the front door greeting customers or the front gate as children and parents are arriving at school – all depending on your job and work context). 
-What does it mean to experience what your staff or customers are experiencing each day? 
-And take the lead in training your staff.  Don’t just always get external facilitators in – let people see you in action as you seek to support them in their professional learning.   
Demeanor: -Be consistent, predictable and stable.  Maintain a rhythm which is so predictable others know where to find you and what to expect. 
-Remain calm and unflappable.  It will help others be calm as they benefit from your calmness. 
-Be respectful and ‘up’, looking for the best, positive and joyful.  Others will catch your positivity and enthusiasm. 
Coaching & mentoring-Invest in people. 
-Coach people through difficult conversations they may face.  Understand the challenges they are facing and access the tips and hacks they need to overcome. 
-Identify the hungry and take them under your wing.  Look around you – who can you help up the next step?
Care and concern-We all go through ‘stuff’.  There are always plenty of opportunities to show care and concern.  Check in with people and follow up.  If they are hurting, empathise. 
-Share in their joys as well as their sorrows.  Be compassionate. Show compassion. 
-Know names.
Confidentiality-Be a safe place.  Give people confidence in confidentiality.  You can’t always keep confidence – there are some things you must disclose.  Sometimes people just want you to listen but not act. 
-Perhaps you can explain to people that they can tell you anything but it stays in your office (unless it is a reportable issue), however you will only move when they put it to paper (or e mail).    
cartoon on institutionalising trust is better than trust falls games
©HR Bartender

Trust is one of those intangible habits that, if you can consistently apply yourself to implementing, will make a huge difference for not only you, but also to your organization.  There are a lot of suggestions in this blog.  Try just taking one of two from the column above and put them in your work rhythm and routine.  Once you feel you have integrated one, try another one.  Don’t try to implement a lot all at once.  Take small steps.

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