Accelerate Trust
By: Andy Fry, Director of Operations & Coach, Renogize Professional Coaching
“Trust takes time.” When I asked a recent client of mine “In what ways do you trust James?”, that was the response that I received. This is a common answer that I receive when I pose that question. You and I have probably felt or even said a version of the same thing at some point.
What we are all really saying is “Until I can predict the behavior, competency, and/or honesty of a person, I am uneasy and wary of them.” Once we have seen someone’s actions over several iterations of similar topics or challenges, we then know which box in our minds to put them into.
The problem is that we don’t have time to do that anymore! Our world is changing at a clip that our grandparents never could have imagined. Demands are changing, companies pivot around different policies or regulations almost monthly, and opportunities like AI will most likely bring a sense of disruption to the workplace nobody can fully anticipate. Couple those with the average time Millenials (3-5 years) and Gen Z (1-3 years) are in a job, and we can no longer sit back and passively acquire game tape on our people.
Let’s speed up the process because our awareness of others can increase rapidly with intentionality. How intentional are you at understanding the communication style, the non-verbals, the likes/dislikes, and the motivators for your team members? In your next one-on-one meeting, consider
- What is something I want to know about this person that I don’t know already?
- What is motivating the way they respond to successes and/or challenges?
- How can I match their communication style?
- Am I mirroring their non-verbals like body language, tone, and energy?
You may find that you need to show vulnerability around topics you pose for them to open up. Perfect! What an opportunity to lead the way!
Be intentional with your interactions and seek to understand your people. You will unlock great cues to increase their job satisfaction and performance but, more importantly, you will see each other as unique human beings.
Get after it! Time is not on your side.
