Do you TRUST your team?
This was a question I asked on my last note, and this has triggered some conversations with Business Leaders who I am working with at the moment. The question reminded me also of the ‘Trust in Me’ song from the Jungle book when Kaa sings to Mowgli and he is hypnotised – ready for Kaa to eat him.
- ‘Of course I trust my team’ I put them there to do a job’
- ‘Why wouldn’t I?’
- ‘They know what they are doing, but they still come to me to check – which is annoying and takes time’.
- ‘They know I trust them, but I am frustrated when I have to intervene.’
In your organisation, large or small, TRUST is vital for the Leadership dynamic to work. Without trust, leaders will micro-manage the team, not be able to function as a leader, distracted into getting too involved, and not allowing the team members to get on with the job or task which they have been allocated.
A Culture of Trust on all levels can be established through strong leadership transparency, admitting vulnerability, asking questions, sharing and debating opinions, team collaboration and then following through with clarity of thought on those plans and intentions. Such a Culture will not happen overnight, it grows organically from being intertwined with your Company Culture, which needs to be lived, ‘not laminated’ by everyone – including the Leadership Team – and the Business Owner.
It is also about mindset – as leader in the business, business owners may well have a ‘Superiority Complex’. Think about it – does it apply to you? However ‘nice’ you may wish to be – or think you are – behaviour breeds behaviour from your team. If you see yourself as ‘superior’ to your team/s, you won’t receive ideas, feedback or be seen to foster autonomy, safety and supporting growth within the team. It is a downward spiral towards lower staff engagement too – we know the consequences of a poorly engaged team.
Do your teams have that ‘psychological safety’ that they can speak out when things aren’t going as planned? Can admit mistakes? Know that you as the leader trust them to do their job well, and support them appropriately when mistakes are made. The more this culture is lived by the Leadership team, the more open, honest and supportive your team will be of you, and in turn, you will Trust in them.
No hypnosis required. Just a mirror.
Image Source: kaa hypnosis gif 1