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“Once bitten, twice shy,” is an understandably good explanation as to why some employees develop trust issues and become skeptical around their coworkers.
But the only way a business relationship can work is if it’s based on a foundation of trust from both ends.
Here are five tips I think should be shared with colleagues and team members who find it difficult to trust others in the workplace.
1. Don’t allow bias to come into play.
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Is your lack of trust for your current boss a result of something a previous boss did? Leave undeserved negative thoughts out of it and allow your new boss to earn your trust by giving him/her a clean slate.
2. Extend the first 'olive branch.'
At the beginning of any relationship, both parties start from ground zero when it comes to trust. Be the one to make the first move. All it takes is letting go of your protective guard to move past the neutral stage.
3. Address any issue causing mistrust.
Identifying how and when trust has been violated is very important to restoring it. Handling the issue in a professional, non-confrontational manner means that you have to listen the other person’s story. Calmly listening to both sides often stops a simple misunderstanding from becoming an intolerable work situation.
4. Don’t overreact to the situation.
If it’s the first time you’ve had the impression of a violation of trust, your best response could be giving your co-worker the benefit of the doubt. I’m sure that is how you would like to be treated? If you’re still in doubt, run it past someone outside of the company who can offer a fresh, unbiased opinion. It’s okay -- and sometimes smart -- to just let certain things go. It doesn’t make a lesser person.
5. Behave in a way that commands trust from your co-workers.
If you find that mistrust is consistent throughout your career, you may be the problem. And that is okay. A solution: Always consider how others may perceive your words and actions.
I hope every entrepreneur out there finds these steps useful and practical as a means of fostering the spirit of trust and camarederie amongst employees of their organization. Seize the world!