The 7 Questions That Define a Trusting Workplace
What defines productive workplace culture? As Billy Joel said, “It’s a matter of trust.” While The Piano Man wasn’t originally singing these words about your working environment, the sentiment is no less true. In fact, over 90% of executives think building trust impacts their bottom line.
But, much like it takes two to tango, it also takes two satisfied parties to make any environment more trusting and more welcoming. Only 21% of U.S. employees strongly agree that they trust the leadership of their organization, which means it’s time for every leader to start asking themselves the right questions.
So, let’s define this aspirational working culture. My years as a strategic coach to some of the world’s most successful leaders has allowed me to paint a detailed picture of this ideal atmosphere. The result is seven simple questions that determine whether or not you and your organization are creating a more trusting workplace.
1. Do you practice what you preach?
Superman and Batman do not kill.
In most versions of their comic book mythos, these two iconic heroes, along with the likes of Daredevil and Spider-Man, refuse to take a life in almost any situation. These individuals are confronted by some of the most dastardly and dangerous villains imaginable, yet they do not relent on this principle. Why? Because they are walking embodiments of justice, so it’s imperative for them to practice what they “preach”— or rather, what they represent.
Your team members need an example to follow. If you have a vision for a more trusting workplace, put that vision into practice yourself. Don’t assume your team members already know what’s best, or that they immediately see the value in what you are creating. Much like the heroes of Marvel and DC, make your actions a symbol of your own aspirations for the working culture you hope to create.
2. Do you put faith in your team?
Ancient sea travel was heavily dependent on the use of manual oars for consistent locomotion. While this technology allowed certain seafaring societies to trade at great distances and wage war between continents, these ships simply could not be controlled without large teams of sailors. When it came time to build bigger, faster ships, ancient Greece and Rome simply added more oars, then stacked them on top of each other. Caligula’s Giant Ship, perhaps the most impressive example of this style, required a crew of up to 900 able-bodied men.
Your team is your greatest asset, but only if you can stay in your corner and let them work. So to create a trusting workplace, you need leadership that understands how essential individual autonomy is to making ANY progress. Micromanagement is the death knell of this autonomy — as foolish as a Roman emperor trying to pilot a 240-foot ship. It is a clear indication that you do not trust your team to succeed in their assigned roles. On the flip side, the leader that puts faith in their team to produce results is sending a clear signal that their organization has faith in the capabilities of every hire.
3. Are your employees free of fear?
Jay Dobyns, an undercover agent for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, spent two years embedded with the Hells Angels. His ongoing investigation led to numerous murder-for-hire indictments and a slew of felony arrests. Unfortunately, Jay and his family paid an unintended price. When he was exposed to the group in 2005, Jay began to receive threats of extreme violence, and his home was even the target of arson with his family sleeping inside. Today, he is an advocate for undercover agents and presses the government to do more to protect them in the line of duty.
Fear can be an incredibly demotivating factor. It sucks so many ideas out of the room before the discussion even begins. In fact, 85% of executives report that fear prevents or stifles innovation within their organization. Your employees shouldn’t be afraid to speak up, and they shouldn’t need secret identities to speak openly and honestly about their leadership. This sort of trusting environment is the only place where every idea is free to compete on an even playing field.
4. Are you self-aware and self-critical?
The magic mirror from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs might be the most famous reflective surface in modern storytelling. Looking at its reflection is what drives the wicked Queen to have her huntsman take Snow White into the woods to be killed in the first place. It is a rich irony, then, that the Queen seems to fundamentally misunderstand the purpose of any mirror. A mirror does not show us what we wish to see, but rather what is actually there. This is what makes them “reflective” — not descriptive or prescriptive.
Successful leaders must embrace self-awareness and self-improvement, and their doing so is a foundational part of any trusting and welcoming workplace. Are you the Queen, asking the mirror for what you want to see? Or do you take an honest look at yourself as a leader at every opportunity? If you want to create a trusting workplace, you can’t be afraid of your own reflection. You must continuously ask yourself how your leadership is serving the organization — and how it might do better.
5. Are you actively listening?
Riddles are often designed to remind us that we’re never listening quite as intently as we think we are. What month of the year has 28 days? “All of them.” What has many keys, but can’t open a lock? “A piano.” What goes up, but never comes down? “Your age.” Of course, this self-inflicted criticism is more than warranted. Did you know that the average person can only remember around 50% of a conversation immediately after the conversation concludes? On top of that, it’s estimated that up to 70% of employees are affected by poor listening skills.
If the wants and needs you hear from your team all sound like riddles, it is impossible to build and sustain trust. Conversely, listening intently to what is being said by your employees leads to invaluable insights about your team’s well-being and stronger relationships across the board.
6. Are you always honest in your communication?
Bobby Jones was a passionate amateur golfer who competed at the national and international level. After years of success and a 1930 Grand Slam, Jones went on to found both the Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament. Needless to say, he is an icon in the golfing world. But Bobby’s most enduring piece of fame was his unwavering honesty when dealing with the sport. On two separate occasions, Bobby Jones forced himself to take an unobserved penalty stroke during tournament play, one time costing himself the overall victory.
Honesty isn’t always easy, nor is it always hard. But, honesty is always the best policy when it comes to communication from an organization’s leadership — no matter the news. No one wants to deliver a poor performance review. No one wants to sit down and explain deep cuts to a department’s budget. Still, it is these moments of honest confrontation that can transform any executive into a trusted leader and any workplace into a more unified working culture. Now that you’re actively listening, you can continue respecting your company’s top-down communication with ultimate transparency.
7. Does everyone feel appreciated?
Let’s imagine you’re the manager of a textile factory. To help give all your positive reinforcement a bit more showmanship, you install a festive Good News Gong to sound off every significant piece of good news: employee awards, promotions, and milestone achievements. Everyone comes to love the somewhat silly theatrics, and employee morale is at an all-time high. A fellow manager visits your factory, falls in love with the idea, and heads back to their company to install a gong of their own.
Two months later, you visit your friend in turn. You see the gong installed in a general gathering area much like at your factory. You stop and ask the first worker you see, “What do you think of the new gong?” He replies, “Oh, that thing? I don’t like it. It’s gone off once in the last month when we missed our quota.”
When employees were asked what motivates them to go “above and beyond” at their organization, three of the top five responses were some version of positive reinforcement. People want to be acknowledged for a job well done. People want reasons to celebrate. Setting a positive and celebratory tone in your working culture breeds more trust and creates more opportunities for encouragement. Intrinsic motivation is nothing to scoff at, and it should also be cultivated at every turn. But to build the very best workplace, you have to bang your gong at the right moments.
About Dr. Sam:
Atlanta-based Dr. Sam Adeyemi (SAY: Ah Day yeh me) is CEO of Sam Adeyemi, GLC, Inc. and founder and executive director of Daystar Leadership Academy (DLA). More than 45,000 alumni have graduated from DLA programs, and more than 3 million CEOs and high performing individuals follow him on top social media sites. Dr. Sam’s new book is “Dear Leader: Your Flagship Guide to Successful Leadership.” He holds a Doctorate in Strategic Leadership from Virginia’s Regent University, and is a member of the International Leadership Association. He and his wife, Nike (say Nee keh) have three children. Learn more at SamAdeyemi.com.