If you’re looking to become a better leader, you should start by doing everything you can to build trust among your team members. You’ll never get the best out of your workers if they don’t think you have their back. A strong working relationship can only be built on a foundation of trust and understanding.
There’s no way to flip a switch and make team members suddenly trust you. Building that essential confidence requires patience and persistence, but any good leader knows that it’s well worth the effort. You need to take an active role in the process by nudging your workers into a more trusting posture. The best way to do that is by offering them constant encouragement.
When your workers know you appreciate their efforts, they’re more likely to have a favorable opinion of you. This, in turn, will allow them to develop a sense of trust. Here’s how you can encourage your workers so that they come to see you as a trusted partner rather than a boss to be feared.
Offer Encouragement Constantly
In order for encouragement to have a meaningful effect on the workplace dynamic, you need to make it a habit. A weekly kind word or vague praise in a formal setting isn’t going to be enough. You need to make encouragement a regular component of your daily interactions with team members. This will show them that you truly value the contributions they’re making.
Get To Know You Workers
If you really want your workers to trust you, you should try to get to know them personally. As long as you keep the relationship revolving around business matters, you’ll never stop being the “boss” in their minds. By asking about their families and getting to know more about them, you’ll lose your impersonal veneer and become an actual person to them, a person who can be trusted.
Offer Public Praise
Public praise is especially productive because it serves to boost a worker’s reputation. From meetings to company-wide emails, you have plenty of opportunities to single out individual team members for praise. Take advantage of these opportunities if you want your employees to trust you like never before.