We often take trust for granted when it’s there, and don’t realise. When that trust isn’t present, it can actually create more work for the team. This blog goes into the importance of trust and how this can affect productivity levels.
What is trust?
Trust means you communicate without hidden agendas; you share information and resources; you rely on your colleagues to help out when required and put your hand up when you get things wrong without fear of huge recriminations.
Can a successful team function without trust?
Although our session included event managers, admin staff and senior managers, it was fairly informal and allowed participants to look at their own views on trust – how and why trust is important at work and at home; what does trust mean to the individual and to the team; what would happen if there was little or no trust in colleagues.
In our team at Fresh Tracks, we have quite a lot of trust; everyone seemed to take it for granted that they would be trusted and that they would in turn trust their colleagues. For us, that makes for an easy and friendly work environment, part of the reason we choose to work here at Fresh Tracks. But it also made me realise that trust is ultimately at the heart of this office culture.
When there is a lack of trust in a workforce
Between the team at Fresh Tracks, we have worked at our fair share of businesses and organisations where the culture was perhaps less trusting and a bit more reliant on rules and regulations. Unfortunately, that generally meant more silo-based working, re-invention of wheels – and more stress.
How a trusting culture can be beneficial
Although for some organisations, strict rules and regulations cannot easily be removed or replaced, it is important to create a culture in which all employees generally think (and expect) the best of each other. This is because this kind of culture is more positive and productive.
