We are back with the final tip in our better communication series exploring how to solve business problems through better communication. Let’s dive in with our final tip. (introduction | tip 1 | tip 2 | tip 3)
Your Business Problem: Our work culture is friendly, but I don’t feel safe challenging an idea that came from above me. In fact, I don’t feel comfortable sharing ideas with our leadership in general.
Workplace trust – often referred to as psychological safety – is like oxygen: you only know it’s absent once you’ve started to choke. In our coaching sessions with clients, we often hear that while their business culture suggests that they are the nicest people to work with, they have an underlying current of fear running through the organization. Workplace trust is not about being nice or polite; it’s about a shared agreement of safety and inclusion.
Leaders, we have a problem…let’s discuss how to activate workplace trust.
Try: Taking our Workplace Trust program to help activate trust within your business culture.
Are you or your organization struggling with one of the following:
- Clarity. Establishing clear norms and expectations for collaboration, innovation, and communication.
- Listening. When teammates or direct reports speak up, are you actively listening?
- Creating space for input. Do others feel like they have a voice and are safe contributing their ideas?
- Showing up with candor, not armor. Brene Brown discusses the concept of armored leadership behavior in her book Dare to Lead. At every level, we all have behaviors we default to out of a concern for safety or a lack of trust.
- Swapping blame with curiosity. Adopting a growth mindset (individually and as a team) that leans toward healthy rethinking.
Establishing trust in the workplace is not a nice-to-have or an item on a checklist. It requires a long-term commitment, an investment worth making, and a standard to uphold. It encompasses fostering communication and collaboration that consistently reinforces essential principles.
Connect with us here to learn more about activating workplace trust in your organization.