Rethinking Trust During the Remote Work Life
“Trust is like the air we breathe — when it’s present, nobody really notices. When it’s absent, everyone notices.” —Warren Buffett
When we think about the massive shifts in work culture this year, we often focus on the physical one from in-office to remote work, but another subtle and important shift is one we navigate every day: the mental and emotional one. This shift presents an opportunity to build trust or the danger to erode it. Trust is more important to success than ever which is why cultivating it between managers and employees is crucial for productivity, good communication, and a sense of engagement — all factors that directly affect the success of any business.
While we're well into the remote work life, this new work format will always be a moving target so it’s important to continually reassess it. In the second installment of the Remote Work series, we’ll dive into three areas for thinking about how trust is at play in your work from home life!
1. ENGAGEMENT
“What’s challenging about managing my employees remotely is that I have so many variables to consider. Everyone has different working hours and communication is more fragmented. I definitely find I need to resist the temptation to micromanage.”
— Jon N., Design Lead
Engagement and trust go hand-in-hand and Gallup found that managers account for at least 70% of variance in employee engagement. Outdated stigmas that employees aren’t working if they’re not in the office build doubt but being mindful of exercising trust creates a happier work environment.
2. TRUST
“My former creative director cut me out from the creative process so I never felt ownership over my work. It made me feel like there was a lack of trust between us and like there was no room for me to grow. After that, I felt so diminished and it showed in my work.”
— Hannah S., Interior Designer
Trust is an essential part of any working relationship and if you don't trust your leadership, your chances of being engaged are one in 12. But when that trust is established, the chances of engagement increase six-fold to more than one in two! So what is an important part of creating that trust? Feeling like you have a manager who is invested in your career and demonstrates that by playing to your strengths.
3. STARTING THE CONVERSATION
Individualizing your approach is key for approaching each team member the right way. The best way to do that is to have an informed conversation using Strengths and if you or your team don’t know your Strengths yet, a CliftonStrengths facilitation with me is the first step! Studying past performance then trusting it is another easy way to soothe anxieties and the temptation to micromanage, a demoralizing dynamic for everyone involved.
Communicate your expectations and interests
Setting clear boundaries and expectations is an important step to creating trust. Whatever your particular work-from-home circumstances, communicate those needs so that there’s transparency and accountability on both sides. Talk through things like how to handle check-ins — are they structured meetings or organic calls and messages? It can be intimidating to approach topics like this but having the conversation and not is the difference between lasting, positive change, and dwelling in discomfort. It’s all about creating honesty that yields healthy communication, respect, and a shared investment in mutual wellness.
Start by asking: “What do you need and how can I support you?”
To get the conversation started, this is an important question both parties can ask. It’s so simple but sometimes, the most powerful way we can demonstrate our trustworthiness is by checking in and showing up for others. This question gives both parties the opportunity to express what they need to be a good manager/employee and share what fulfilling those needs looks like to them. Before ending a conversation like this, be sure to recap the discussion so everyone walks away on the same page knowing what to do moving forward.
Individualize your approach
Disengagement is an easy trap to fall into and if that’s your case, take stock of your talents and interests and ask how you can lean into those in your day-to-day job. This will absolutely require the support of a manager but receiving that kind of consideration and action would build trust across both parties — a win-win situation!
It’s an age-old truth but trust is earned but when you have it, engagement and work satisfaction go through the roof. While these are challenging times, taking a mindful and compassionate approach to creating a happy work environment makes all the difference.