The Power of Trust: Building strong relationships
Trust is the invisible ingredient that creates stronger relationships. At work, it’s the foundation of effective teamwork. Without trust, people are less collaborative, less open, less prepared to commit to the team and others. Think about someone you don’t trust and consider how you might behave. You may be more guarded, less generous, less likely to respond positively and be receptive to requests for help.
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How do you know when trust is lacking?
Some people are generous with their trust. They will give it to people immediately until they learn otherwise. Others will take time and need to see behaviours that encourage them to trust.
When there is a lack of trust, for whatever reason, you may find they share very little about themselves, are perhaps more guarded than others and come across as distant. They may not confide in you if they are experiencing difficulty with work or if they make mistakes. Collaboration levels are low when trust levels are low. And relationships are slower to build, which can impact morale.
The benefits of high trust
The benefits of a high trust team are many and it’s worth putting in the work to increase trust levels. When there are high levels of trust, there is psychological safety, which brings confidence in others, an openness to ask questions, share thoughts, people are more prepared to be vulnerable and show their struggles or challenges, which means people know each other better and will do more for each other. Relationships are reciprocal and if you demonstrate trust in someone, they are more likely to do the same in return.
As a leader, you will be setting the example.
Think about your own attitude to trust and how quickly you trust others. If you are slow to trust, then you may be coming across as a little distant, which can quickly set the tone. Being intentional with your relationship building and communication is very useful here. Get to know people by spending time asking questions and really listening to their responses. Catch yourself if you make assumption or judgments, keep an open mind. Listening is a tool that works for so many situations – and it’s sadly so underused.
Be open about yourself. This is not easy for everyone. Share something about yourself and give others an insight into your likes, dislikes, strengths and weaknesses. By doing this, others will see it’s ok for them to follow suit and be more open.
Be accountable
If you say you’re going to do something, make sure you follow through, unless there is good reason for not doing so. In which case, share as much as you can about why this is. If people feel misled or let down, their trust soon begins to erode. Also, others are more likely to be accountable too if they see this is the expectation.
Recognise others
A big trust drain is taking the glory for what others have done. If someone has worked hard to do something, and their boss tells everyone how they themselves did it, the team member will soon learn not to either do it or not to tell you that they’ve done it. Giving credit to others is a great trust builder.
Listen and be curious
Listening is a powerful tool in trust-building. When we listen actively—really hearing what someone has to say — we validate their experiences and concerns. This creates a sense of understanding and respect. Asking questions, seeking clarification, being genuinely interested, and showing empathy all contribute to a deeper connection. When people feel heard and understood, they’re more likely to trust.
Admit Mistakes and Learn from Them
How we handle our mistakes can either build or break trust. Admitting when we’re wrong and taking responsibility shows humility and accountability. It also sets the stage for growth and improvement. When we own our errors and make efforts to learn from them, we demonstrate that we’re committed to doing better, which strengthens trust. And as I said earlier, you are setting the example, so having a growth mindset when it comes to mistakes will encourage others in the team to do the same. Here you create psychological safety as mistakes are not punished, no-one is humiliated, everyone takes the approach that it’s an opportunity to do things better.
Building trust is a continuous journey, not a destination. It requires patience, effort, and a genuine desire to connect with others. If trust is broken, talk about it don’t ignore it. Find out why and how it can be rebuilt. People recognise and appreciate this, even if it can be uncomfortable. Letting trust erode and resentment build is far more uncomfortable in the long run.
Think about your trust default – do you trust immediately and only withdraw trust when someone lets you down? Or do you start from a low level of trust and others need to earn it? How does your default affect relationships? Is there anything you could do differently to enhance trust?
Think carefully about these questions as there is always something we can do differently to increase trust and therefore improve relationships. Discuss this with colleagues and team members – it’s a great way of hearing what their default is and can bring greater understanding of how they like to operate.
If you have any thoughts or questions about trust, get in touch. As a coach who is privileged to hear the innermost thoughts of so many people, I am able to share insights on what gets in the way of developing healthy and productive levels of trust. These insights are often helpful to gain clarity and reflect on helpful changes to build relationships and gain trust. If you have any questions or would like to discuss how coaching might help you or a member of your team, email me.
