{"id":96326,"date":"2023-03-16T15:44:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-16T19:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=96326"},"modified":"2023-03-23T10:47:29","modified_gmt":"2023-03-23T14:47:29","slug":"build-trust-with-employees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/build-trust-with-employees\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Build Trust With Employees as a Leader"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What are some good ways to build trust with employees? How can leaders connect<\/a> better with their employees?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To build trust with employees, performance consultant Sir John Whitmore suggests that leaders learn coaching skills to empower their employees and make the most of their potential. In Coaching for Performance<\/em>, he provides coaching strategies for leaders hoping to build trust in the workplace<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read on to learn how to build trust with employees as a leader, according to Whitmore’s advice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Build Trust and Connect With Employees<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sir John Whitmore wrote Coaching for Performance<\/em> to show leaders how to build trust with employees, empower them, and reveal their full potential by adopting a “we’re in it together” mindset. Whitmore is a pioneer of workplace coaching and co-creator of the popular GROW model, a coaching framework for goal setting and performance improvement. The International Coach Federation gave him the President\u2019s Award in 2007 to honor his lifetime of work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we’ll specifically look at Whitmore’s advice for building trust<\/a> with employees as a leader, based on his book Coaching for Performance<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Listen Actively<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Whitmore says you have to build trust and connect with your employees so they\u2019ll open up and engage fully in the coaching process, which will help you maximize their potential. To build trust with employees, listen actively to show that you care and be aware of your own thoughts and feelings<\/a> so they don\u2019t interfere with your work, says Whitmore.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: In Captivate<\/em><\/a>, Vanessa Van Edwards suggests two different ways to establish trust upon first meeting. First, hold eye contact in 60 to 70 percent of your interactions<\/a> to show interest. Then, keep your hands visible and gesture with them to demonstrate that you\u2019re not hiding anything.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you listen carefully to your employee, you show that you care about them, making it easier to build trust with them and more likely that they\u2019ll share information that will help you maximize their potential. Whitmore outlines several strategies to be an effective listener, including these three:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Pay attention to your employee’s tone of voice and choice of words<\/strong>. This gives you an idea of what they feel strongly about and areas to explore more deeply. For example, if they say, \u201cI hate<\/em> when my coworker talks over me at meetings!\u201d in an irritated tone, probe deeper to see if they feel their ideas are regularly overlooked and want others to acknowledge them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Words and tone can take on a different life in email and text\u2014communication forms where tone is difficult to interpret. In one study on this subject, participants only successfully deciphered sarcasm or seriousness in emails 56% of the time<\/a>\u2014but when they heard the same content on voicemail, they successfully interpreted them 73% of the time.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Observe your employee’s emotions and body language<\/a><\/strong>. When you pay attention to your employee’s physical cues, you gain deeper insight into how they truly feel. For example, if you ask your employee how they\u2019re doing and they say \u201cGreat,\u201d but are slumped in their chair, arms crossed over their chest, they\u2019re probably not great. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: In Captivate<\/em><\/a>, Van Edwards suggests another type of body language to keep an eye out for to assess people\u2019s honesty: facial microexpressions<\/a>. These momentary, almost imperceptible facial gestures communicate anger, contempt, happiness, fear, surprise, disgust, and sadness. Look for them to see if people\u2019s words match their true emotions.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Reflect back on what your employee says<\/strong>. When you reflect back your employee’s words and thoughts, you build trust with them by showing that you\u2019re paying attention<\/a> to and are working to understand them. There are multiple ways to reflect back what your employee says, including these three:<\/p>\n\n\n\n