Too often, we leave trust up to chance. We think it will just happen naturally over time. And sometimes that is true. But often this is not the case, especially when working with people who seem very different from ourselves. Here is what I see working with corporate clients: people are assigned to work together on a project so they set up a “get to know you call.” After a few awkward pleasantries the conversation oozes over to the typical comfort zone–talking about work and the task at hand. Clearly talking about work is important, but what I want you to start to question is whether this actually efficient. What I have found as a DEI trainer working with clients is that efficiency comes when people can count on each other. When you can give feedback without people questioning your intent. When you can focus on the task at hand because you are not distracted by interpersonal dynamics. When there is trust, efficiency follows.
Unfortunately, proactive trust building has been collateral damage of COVID-19. When I ask clients what they need in order to give someone the benefit of the doubt during stressful times, I rarely hear “I need to know that they know their job description” or “I want to know their professional credentials.” What I hear most often is “I need to know about their background.” While working in a physical offices, it is possible that casual connection can happen outside of a work meeting. Perhaps walking down the hall to a meeting, a common interest might surface. Or waiting for a colleague to arrive to a meeting, you realize you both have kids who love soccer. If you are not proactively creating ways to build trust to compensate for these casual encounters, you are leaving it up to chance. Trust is way too valuable to leave up to chance.
So my question for you is, how are you prioritizing trust this week? Trust is quite complex, having to do with many factors including unconscious bias and cultural background. But as you head into this week, I encourage you to look at your schedule and carve out time to learn more about the people you work with. If you need a little extra help getting started, I created “15 Questions That Can Help You Build Trust While Working Remotely.” It is a free resource is available for my folx who get my newsletter. Click here to grab your copy and get ready to start benefitting from the power of trust.
The next time I read a blog, Hopefully it doesnt fail me just as much as this one. I mean, Yes, it was my choice to read through, but I actually thought you would have something useful to say. All I hear is a bunch of moaning about something that you could fix if you werent too busy searching for attention.