Great Morning Team,
I have always believed (and still do) that relationships are everything. They are paramount. It’s what matters most in our day to day work life. When connections with our colleagues and managers develop into harmonious partnerships, we become more productive, more engaged, we get things done well, and we experience a greater level of satisfaction and even happiness at work as a result. To develop these successful relationships, it requires a willingness to be vulnerable to get to know one another and find appreciation in the diversity and uniqueness of each other. We find commonalities, differences, humor, and joy as each relationship grows. Eventually trust emerges. We begin to rely on each other. We honor our work commitments to others that we have made, not only because of the work, but because we care deeply about our colleagues, knowing they are depending on us. We create developmental friendships, caring about each other personally and professionally, serving and supporting each other in our growth. It’s a perfect picture, right? Well, not always….
Relationships and therefore trust are not always easy to build. We each have different personalities, perspectives, diversity in our thinking, behaviors, and of course to keep it interesting, our growth edges and our own emotions. Anyone of these elements could make building relationships and trust difficult. So how do we navigate to achieve greater trust in our day to day work relationships? I found a great article, from Forbes Magazine, written by career coach, Caroline Castrillon, titled “5 Powerful Strategies to Build Trust in the Workplace”. (Click here for article) The article discusses some solid strategies to create and build trust with each other, such as building authentic connections by revealing our true selves; in essence, “removing our masks”: strengths, weaknesses and all. Other strategies include listening actively, acknowledging emotions- both positive and negative, providing recognition and appreciation no matter how big or small the contribution, and finally, being responsible for how the communication lands.
What are some best practices you have discovered that have proven successful in building trust with your colleagues and/or manager? Please share in the comments section below, as we would love to learn from your experiences!
Wishing you all a Better We, Better Week! 😊
Lori Beth
