Look at that Gallup data about employee trust in organizational leadership.
Trust dipped slightly at the onset of COVID but declined further as employees faced the prospect of returning to the office.
Trust is influenced by many subtle factors.
While we’re all familiar with how micromanagement, poor communication, or lack of transparency can weaken trust, what about the less obvious elements?
Let’s explore a few small, often overlooked factors that, when combined, can inadvertently lead to distrust.
1. Unintentional cultural insensitivity
Sensitivity has never been higher and the smallest slip-ups can have dramatic effects.
You may unknowingly use language or make decisions that offend team members from different cultural backgrounds.
Solution: Invest in cultural competence training and actively seek feedback from team members about cultural issues.
2. Misalignment with organizational values
With so many layers of leadership and management, sometimes it’s a maze to understand exactly what organizational values are.
A misalignment can create cognitive dissonance and erode trust.
Solution: Regularly review and discuss organizational values with the team, and explicitly tie decisions to these values.
3. Inadequate handling of remote/hybrid work challenges
Like the chart at the beginning shows, challenges adapting to new working conditions can create trust issues.
Failing to address the unique needs of remote or hybrid team members can lead to feelings of isolation or unfair treatment.
Solution: Implement clear communication protocols for remote work and ensure equal opportunities for all team members, regardless of location.
4. Failure to advocate for the team to higher management
When team members feel their leader doesn’t represent their interests to upper management, they may lose faith in the leader’s commitment to their success.
You may have the best intentions and fight for your team and still not be enough.
Solution: Regularly update the team on discussions with upper management and actively seek input on issues to bring forward.
5. Lack of technical competence in rapidly evolving fields
Managing technical teams is a tough job. You need to be a good leader AND have enough technical skills.
In fast-changing industries, a leader who doesn’t keep up with technical developments may lose credibility and the team’s trust in their decision-making abilities.
Solution: Commit to ongoing learning and be transparent about areas where you need to defer to team experts.
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By listing these reasons, it’s easy to see the amount of responsibility, work, and pressure leaders have.
That’s why you need tools and processes to make that workload easier to manage.
A lot of the solutions presented here can be solved with regular check-ins and open communication channels that TeamMood facilitates.
Report back to us if TeamMood has helped your teammates trust you more or if you were able to regain trust after an incident.
Check out TeamMood
- TeamMood increases feedback frequency. Get daily or weekly notifications to everyone in your team in just a few minutes after signing up.
- TeamMood is fun. The only thing your teammates need to do is click on their corresponding mood and they are done. Written comments are optional. It’s perfect to start getting more feedback. And it’s easy and quick enough to keep this habit in the long term.
- TeamMood is anonymous. Your teammates won’t be scared to give honest feedback because their identity is hidden.
- TeamMood helps you transform feedback into action. Our analytics dashboard help you monitor and analyze feedback to uncover actionable insights more easily.
Learn more about TeamMood
and sign up here
Header photo by Qingbao Meng