Building trust from the middle

Posted on May 17, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Leading from the middle of an organization can be one of the most difficult leadership challenges.  And I’ve discovered that almost everyone is in the middle.  Years ago I had a conversation with an executive vice president.  I thought she would be a subject matter expert to help me train middle managers, but then I realized that she thought of herself as being in the middle between the Board and her staff.

A recent research report from Harvard Business Review provided several good observations about what makes some middle managers more effective than others.  They identified the “Three A Model” of effective middle management.  At the core, I think the model leads back to building the credibility and authenticity necessary to be trusted by those above and below in the organization chart.

  1. Alignment
    Effective middle managers understand their own values and professional goals, and they are able to communicate how their values connect to organizational initiatives.
  2. Authorship
    Effective middle managers were the drivers of organizational change.  They used their positions and their 360-degree view of the organization to create cross-functional teams and champion solutions.  They took responsibility and identified what needed to be done.
  3. Action
    Effective middle managers were able to work effectively with other leaders to drive change.  They encouraged individual contributors to actively participate in change initiatives and removed barriers that kept others from being effective.  And they promoted the three A’s among those that reported to them.

By contract, the article said that ineffective middle managers:

  • Focused on pleasing people rather than doing their jobs
  • Procrastinated on decisions for fear of failure
  • Blamed others for mistakes
  • Were cautious and unsure of their authority; avoided taking risks

Following the Three A Model and avoiding the pitfalls of ineffective middle management can help us as leaders build the trust needed to be more effective ourselves, and to bring out the best in those around us.

Dee Anne Bonebright

Source:  Behnam Tabrizi, New Research: What Sets Effective Middle Managers Apart. HBR Blog Network, May 8, 2013.  http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2013/05/reinventing_middle_management.html

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Posted in higher education, Leadership, trust

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Trust and the brain

Posted on May 15, 2013 by | Leave a comment

David Rock and Matthew Lieberman have been studying the functioning of the brain and have some profound ideas that we can use in building trusting relationships with people on our teams. As Rock states, “the human brain is a social organ. Its physiological and neurological reactions are directly and profoundly shaped by social interaction.” (http://www.strategy-business.com/article/09306?gko=5df7f)

In other words, the people on your team – and you – respond to social and interpersonal interactions at the same intensity level as when we physically interact with our environment. Like when you hit your thumb with a hammer, jump into a cold lake or enjoy a scrumptious dessert!hammer-on-thumb That helps explain why small actions by you, as the leader, can lead to significant, and often surprising, personal reactions by members of your team. The social interactions you create can directly, almost biologically, build trust or break down trust at work. And we have learned from this work is that people react much stronger to perceived social threats than we do to perceived social rewards.

To help leaders navigate this social minefield at work, Rock has defined five social domains (SCARF) that can be used to help build trust. Understanding the different threats and taking action to reduce the perception of a threat from your language or your behaviors will lead to enhanced social interactions and stronger trust. The five domains that trigger a threat response in social settings are:

Status – an individual’s self-perceived importance in relation to others.

Certainty – the degree to which an individual is able to predict the future.

Autonomy - perception regarding their sense of control over events.

Relatedness – perception of safety with others, of being associated with an in-group rather than an out-group.

Fairness – perception of fair exchanges between an individual and other people and/or the organization.

In my work with new leaders they are often surprised at the reactions of past colleagues who they now supervise. Understanding the “hard-wired” brain response to a change in status helps them better understand the reaction and identify new ways of interacting that minimize the threat and re-establish trust.

Yes, “my brain made me do it” may be true but by using SCARF, leaders can take action to build trust.

Todd Thorsgaard

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Posted in communication, Leadership, leadership development

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Why good intent is not enough

Posted on May 13, 2013 by | Leave a comment

catbird

“Having spent many years trying to define the essentials of trust, I arrived at the position that if two people could say two things to each other and mean them, then there was the basis for real trust. The two things were “I mean you no harm” and “I seek your greatest good.”  –Jim Meehan, British Psychologist

A few years ago, I was coaching a client I’ll call Sam.  Sam would regularly find himself embroiled in conflict with others in the workplace. He talked a good game, but Sam often had difficulty delivering on his promises. Over time, Sam’s colleagues trusted him less and less as his inspiring and visionary ideas hung in the air and weren’t translated into action.

I remember Sam saying, “My intent is pure, can’t they see that?” To which I responded, “Well, actually no. They can’t see that.”  I went on to explain that while we tend to judge ourselves by our intent, we tend to judge others by their behavior. Others were judging Sam on his ability to follow through on commitments AND attributing bad intent to his behavior. So relying on one of my favorite Covey principles, “you can’t talk your way out of a problem you behaved your way into,” we explored ways that Sam could behave his way out of his current problem.

While not all of us struggle with the same dilemma as Sam, it’s important for leaders to remember that people are constantly observing our behaviors AND are making assumptions about our intent. People often distrust us because of the conclusions they draw about what we do. Our perception of intent has a huge impact on trust. When thinking about the importance of intent and trust, here are some questions taken from Steven M.R. Covey’s The Speed of Trust, that I’ve found helpful to consider:

  • How often do I discount (or “tax”) what someone says because I am suspicious about that person’s intent?
  • What kind of tax is my organization paying because employees don’t trust management’s intent? What is the impact on speed and cost?
  • What kind of tax are we paying as a team because we are suspicious of one another’s motives?
  • What kind of tax am I paying because people question my own intent?
  • What can I do to improve and better communicate my intent?

Building off Jim Meehan’s insight into the essentials of building trust, how can I demonstrate “I mean you no harm” and “I seek your greatest good?”  In other words, how can I behave in a way that is consistent with the intent of genuine care for others?

Anita Rios

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Posted in higher education, Motivation, self awareness, trust

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The benefits of transparency

Posted on May 10, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Employees want to be a part of a workplace culture that puts a premium on delivering the truth.  They desire their leaders to be proactive in sharing where the company is headed and forthright about its future.   In other words, they just want transparency so they can plan and protect themselves.
–Glenn Llopis

Several years ago I was involved in designing a leadership development program.  Our team easily agreed on the behaviors we wanted to focus on and the key messages we wanted to give, until we got to the topic of trust and transparency.  That topic generated more discussion than any of the others.  We all knew transparency was important, but what does it look like?  How much vulnerability should a leader show?  Is it helpful for leaders to admit when they are uncertain?

The quote above is from an article in Forbes in which Llopis argued that employees want to relate to their leaders on a personal level.  He believes that the benefits of showing your human side as a leader are worth the perceived loss in status or power.  He recommended that leaders make time to connect with their employees in person rather than relying on email. Let them see your challenges and the obstacles you have overcome. Especially among the leadership team, be open about your leadership concerns and challenges.

When leaders are transparent, Llopis believes that the entire organization benefits because:

  1. Problems are solved faster
  2. Teams are built easier
  3. Relationships grow authentically
  4. People trust and respect their leader
  5. Higher levels of performance can be achieved

As my planning team learned, leaders have different comfort levels with showing their human sides.  It can be difficult for us as leaders to trust those around us with our concerns and to invite conversations about the ways our workplaces are less than perfect.  It may seem safer to present a confident public face in spite of challenges we are facing. But, ironically, showing transparency can be one of the best ways to build teams that can work together to achieve lasting results.

Dee Anne Bonebright

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Posted in higher education, Leadership, trust

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Busting trust

Posted on May 8, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Trust is tricky. It takes two to have a trusting relationship yet all we can do is focus on our own behaviors. Our success at building trust is determined by the perceptions of those we lead and those we work with. At times it can feel like it is out of our own control since we never know for sure which specific comment or behavior is going to be the one that makes a difference to someone on our team. Think of your typical day as a leader. How many potential moments do you have to make an impression on someone on your team, a colleague or any co-worker? For most leaders it is hard to even count them all!

Gotcha

That is our reality as leaders and any one of those moments can turn into a “gotcha’” event that breaks down trust with someone. And most often we are completely unaware of it at the time. It can be one of our leadership Blind spots (post on 1/9/13). Today I want to share the ideas from a card game called Trust Busters that I use with leaders and with teams that can help leaders avoid “inadvertently” busting trust during our busy and chaotic days. It opens up blind spots and allows your team members to safely point out “gotcha’” behaviors before they happen. And it can be fun!

The cards list 25 common behaviors that can break down trust, such as:

  • Not following through on agreements
  • “Re-deciding” decisions
  • Inconsistent messages
  • Seeking input and not using it
  • Not fixing known problems
  • Tolerance of poor performers
  • Not understanding other’s reality

Either using the card deck, or a list of your own, leaders ask their team members to sort the cards into two piles.

1.      Serious violations of trust

2.      Behaviors that over time can erode trust

Our leadership blind spots are usually found in the second set of behaviors, the smaller actions that are perceived differently by our people than what we intended. I have discovered that my confident communication style (in my mind) actually is perceived by some of my colleagues as not understanding their reality and that it can erode their trust in me. Having the courage to ask your people to share examples of a time you have “played” one of those cards from the second pile will open your eyes and help you avoid inadvertently busting trust in the future.

Todd Thorsgaard

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Posted in Leadership, leadership development, self awareness, trust

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Trust: either you have it or you don’t?

Posted on May 6, 2013 by | Leave a comment

When I work with leaders on the topic of trust, I sometimes hear people say, “either you have it, or you don’t.” This is especially true when a leader refers to a workplace relationship where there is low trust. In those cases, leaders report that it seems nearly impossible to communicate effectively or get anything accomplished. Certainly, as Dee Anne suggested in her blog last week, building trust takes time and attention. What I’ve found particularly useful in the myriad of resources from Steven M.R. Covey’s groundbreaking book, The Speed of Trust to the recent work of Ken Blanchard, is that they provide roadmaps for leaders to become skilled at building trust. I’ve become convinced that each of us can get better at building trust.

Recently, a colleague of mine recommended another book, The Trust Edge by David Horsager. He said that it decoded specific actions he needed to take to build trust with his employees, peers, and boss. The book builds upon concepts first introduced by Covey. Horsager affirms through various case studies that when trust goes up in an organization, there is an increase in productivity, morale, retention, innovation, loyalty, and revenue and a corresponding decrease in costs, problems, attrition, skepticism, and stress.

trust edge

What I find helpful in The Trust Edge is that Horsager (a Minnesota native), identifies 8 pillars of trust and uses a workbook-like approach to help leaders reflect on how they build skills in each of the pillars. Here is a sneak peek:

Clarity: People trust the clear and mistrust the ambiguous

Compassion: People put faith in those who care beyond themselves

Character: People notice those who do what is right over what is easy

Competency: People have confidence in those who stay fresh, relevant, and capable

Commitment: People believe in those who stand through adversity

Connection: People want to follow, buy from and be around friends

Contribution: People immediately respond to results

Consistency: People love to see the little things done consistently

I hope this list has piqued your curiosity. If so, I’d encourage you to go to your local bookstore or library to find a copy and keep reading.

Anita Rios

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Building and sustaining trust

Posted on May 3, 2013 by | 1 Comment

Trust is an essential ingredient in successful workplaces.  When I’m working with a team that has high mutual trust we work more smoothly, more quickly, and toward better results.  Equally important, when things don’t go as hoped, a high-trust team is more easily able to learn from the experience and move forward.

One of the challenges for leaders is how to build and sustain trust.  As new leaders quickly discover, it isn’t something that can be accomplished and marked off the “to do” list.  It takes a longer time than you might think to build trust, a shorter time than you might wish to destroy trust, and a high level of attention to maintaining it.

A recent article in Fast Company gave three excellent suggestions for building and maintaining trust.

Involve people in decisions that directly affect them.

  • When people are involved they are more likely to support the decision, even if it wasn’t their preferred choice.
  • If you’ve already made the decision, and you’re not open to changing your mind, don’t go through the motions of bringing people into the process; they’ll just feel conned.
  • Treating people as capable adults shows you trust them to be part of good decisions. They’ll trust you more in return.

Be transparent and consistent in your actions.

  • Understanding how a decision was made, and the thought process behind that decision, can have a huge impact on how people feel about the decision.
  • For example, in one study, employees who understood how their performance bonus was determined were more satisfied than employees who received more money, but didn’t know how the bonus had been determined.

Pay attention to relationships.

  • People join companies but leave managers.
  • If people trust you to understand what matters to them, it makes a huge difference in their engagement.

Think back on leaders who have built a high level of trust in groups you’ve worked with?  Did they demonstrate these three behaviors?  How?

Dee Anne Bonebright

Source:  Atkins, A. (August 7, 2012).  How Leaders Build Trust.  Fast Company.  http://www.fastcompany.com/3000204/how-leaders-build-trust

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Posted in Engagement, higher education, Leadership, trust

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