We have just come through a couple of years of turmoil that has had a dramatic impact on how we work - a lot of which was out of our control! There has been unprecedented turnover and change at companies of all sizes. And now we are facing choices of becoming a hybrid workplace, continuing to work virtually, bringing everyone back to the office, or variations of each depending on the positions…all while STILL in a time of economic uncertainty. That’s a lot to deal with at a time when our individual and organizational resiliency is already low.

Normally this time of year, my conversations are focused on annual business planning and your vision for 2023. Those talks are still happening, but this year even more than normal, I felt it was important for us as leaders to pause and reflect on prioritizing your people. Your team is your most critical asset, they are what enables your vision for 2023 and beyond to become real. The exercise of annual planning gives us an important opportunity to reflect on what the words “your people are your most critical asset” really mean and what we are doing to demonstrate it.

Fostering trust is a foundational building block for prioritizing your people and navigating through change and new initiatives successfully. Trust (e.g. psychological safety) is what creates an environment where people can brainstorm and vet new ideas, raise issues early, and fix things quickly when they do go wrong. Trust is what empowers your people to share proactively with the confidence they will be listened to. And without trust, our investments into team often don’t work (even when made with the very best of intentions).

An environment of trust contributes to rebuilding our resiliency and demonstrating “your people are your most critical asset” is real. Here are 5 things to focus on to build trust.

Building Trust in the Midst Of Uncertainty and Change

Don’t leave out the “why.” Just because the path forward is clear and makes sense to you, doesn’t mean that it will be just as clear to others. Give your people real information and context. Provide the direction and support they need to succeed. Empower employees to ask questions, communicate the impact of your decisions, and help people understand what makes the change necessary and how they can support it. Sharing “the why” adds more transparency to what’s going on.
Recognize there is more than one way to approach change. Some people have a natural inclination to brainstorm and innovate and are quick to try new ideas. Others are stabilizers and look to implement change while maintaining and protecting what is already working. And there is a whole range in between. A stabilizer is not necessarily more resistant to change than an innovator BUT they will need more information and context. An innovator will often be an early adopter of change but may not see risks as clearly. Both approaches have strengths and vulnerabilities and both approaches are needed. Understanding your teams natural approach to change will help you set them up for success.
Show appreciation. As leaders, we must be intentional about creating an environment of appreciation. Your team puts in the work daily to help you achieve results. Without your team, you could only get so far. We should always be re-recruiting our talent internally, keeping everyone engaged through gratitude and appreciation.
Check your ego. You can’t just assume that you’re correct because you’re in charge. It’s true, decisions are ultimately up to you, and giving your stakeholders the opportunity to provide feedback and voice concerns makes people feel heard. You’ll never be able to make everyone happy, but it’s important for people to know their voices and experience are valued.
Be authentic. It’s hard for people to trust you if they don’t know you. Authentic leaders remain true to themselves and their values even in the face of adversity. The leaders that inspire the most trust show up in the same way, every time, because they operate from a place of honesty and transparency. Remember, you are human and you will make mistakes and things will not always go according to plan. Being transparent in the difficult times IS being authentic.

While these tips are not an exhaustive/comprehensive list of ways for leaders to foster trust, they are core tactics I have found to help me. As we head into another period of economic uncertainty, it’s more important than ever for leaders to be intentional with prioritizing their team and inspiring trust within their organizations.

Please let me know what resonated for you. What will you focus more on to foster trust with your team. It's always good to hear from you and I respond to every message.