4 Relationships Killers To Avoid When Building Trust Within A Team
You can tell your colleagues, your boss and your direct reports that you want good working relationships with them. You can ask for feedback and promise to say thank you. And you can ask about their working-style preferences. But none of this will make a difference if the people you work with don’t trust you. You have to demonstrate that you meant what you said and that you really are the person you say you are.
We’ve all received feedback or input that we’ve questioned or invalidated because of our relationship, or lack thereof, with its source. If you want others to hear your suggestions and take them as you intend them, you must have trust-based relationships. If you don’t, every word you say will be questioned and tested.
As relationships develop, it’s important not to kill them by damaging trust. Building trust takes time. Breaking trust can happen in a moment. Do your best to avoid the behaviors that are classic trust and relationship killers.
1.Relationship Killer Number One: Gossip
People have a tendency to talk about us, not to us. If you haven’t been gossiped about, you just need to get out and meet more people.If you have something to say, say it directly to the person involved. If you’re not going to speak to the person directly, say nothing at all. As we all know, this is easier said than done.Gossip will destroy relationships, organizational cultures and careers faster than anything else. And we are all tempted to gossip.
2.Relationship Killer Number Two: Breaking Your Word
Do the things you say you will do. Here’s a goal to aspire to: Make only commitments you intend to keep. We all know this isn’t possible, so do the next best thing. As soon as you realize you can’t or won’t keep a commitment, tell the people who are affected.Don’t wait.
3.Relationship Killer Number Three: Not Telling the Truth
We all do things we wish we hadn’t done. We miss deadlines, make mistakes and disappoint people. Adults are not very different from kids when it comes to confessing to failings. We’ve all said, “It wasn’t me” or “I didn’t do it” way beyond the age of 9. We don’t want to disappoint the people we work with.
4.Relationship Killer Number Four: Withholding Information
When people don’t know what is happening or why, they make things up. It stems from a human need to know and understand what’s happening in our surroundings. However, made-up information that starts quite innocently can quickly spread throughout an organization, destroying the culture leaders are working to create.
A little candor in the form of an organizational announcement can mitigate the gossip and rumor mill. And the organization’s leaders can build good will for being candid and trusting that employees can handle sensitive information. The more you trust people, the more they will trust you
Related post: How to build trust on your team
