Seven Lies about Managers and Trust

Employees aren't paid to trust you.

When I am out and about coaching and running workshops I get to hear and chat to LOTS of managers. It is one of the things I love most about what I do.

Generally we have great conversations about leadership and trust.

But I also hear myths about leading and trust building and I want to dispel some of these. Some of the myths are actually limiting managers' results. They are adding to an overall myth that trust building is "all too hard".

Yes, it is multifaceted. But lifting trust is quite straightforward.

There are 7 common myths that I hear below. Feel free to comment, share or check the facts on some you might have heard too :)

7 myths about trust and managers

"Employees are paid to trust us"
No. You earn their trust, it is not a condition of employment. But when employees do trust you, they will work harder. They will never trust you just because of their pay. That is not part of their contract. Trust is given conditionally by them to you, against key behaviour and criteria such as consistency and authenticity. 

"Employees should trust that Managers are right"
Managers often don’t get things right and employees know this. The right solution or decision is one that considers multiple facets, not just the manager’s view.
Managers usually only know a small % of the problems in any business. Involving employees in solutions is what gets things right. The fact is employees trust their managers more when they ask for input from their teams.

"My position should guarantee employee trust"
Maybe in the '70s when we thought managers were better because of their place in the hierarchy. Not now. Employees trust managers based on human factors like empathy and authenticity. Not structures.
Fact: authority alone does not make you trustworthy. In fact it means you need to work harder in some environments in order to build trust.

"My qualifications mean I am trustworthy"
Hahah. Not even close. Think about all those highly qualified and dodgy doctors, priests and bankers. Yeah-nah.
It’s your words, actions and behaviours which display to others whether they should trust you or not. The fact is that competence, doing the job well and consistently (not qualifications) influence trust way more.

"Trust is earnt over a long time by managers"
Not necessarily. We can trust complete strangers and at the same time mistrust lifelong friends.
We often make quick judgements to trust or not. Making a good first impression with employees though and being consistent are vital if you want to build trust faster. Being consistent over time is more likely to build more trust. But time alone doesn’t guarantee trust. 

"Using data improves trust in Managers"
Not on its own. Logic is important for managers when they explain their decisions. But empathy and authenticity are equally important in building trust around decisions. Numbers alone are not enough to take your audience with you: stories, feelings and emotions are a vital part of communication and leadership that builds trust.

"I must act neutral and professional to build trust"
100% not. Holding back your true personality puts a limit on the degree to which your team will trust you. This will limit your results and the success of your team.
Being yourself and displaying human traits, character and your personal tastes, make you much more attractive as a manager. You can still follow the rules whilst being YOU!

So how can I build more trust?
We have to invest in our relationship with employees to ensure we both get what we need including mutual trust.

Building trust requires managers to start with a growth mindset, learning where they are now what needs to change. They should be deliberate in the conversations they have by DOING THESE THREE THINGS:

• Trust requires us to meet employees where they are, build deeper connection with them by understanding where they are coming from. Factor this into your thinking.

• Focusing our conversations on the needs of employees and the business is going to make our connection invaluable to employees. Give them what they need to succeed.

• Leading a consistent conversation that caters to employees needs and helps them do their job. Don't try to tell them what to do, instead listen and nurture their involvement and contribution. Encourage them to own and drive change.