Monday, July 12, 2021

Building Trust - Dr Sangeetha Madhu and Sanjhna Shetty

 

Rousseau and colleagues defined trust as "a psychological state comprising the intention to accept vulnerability based upon positive expectations of the intentions or behaviour of another."Trust arises as a need to be interdependent with others. It is a key element in conflict resolution. People depend on each other to assist each other in obtaining the outcomes they value.

 

Dimensions of trustworthy behaviour

Trust can be earned using two ways; practical and emotional. Practical trust is earned by meeting commitments, being punctual, reliable and dependable. Lack of practical trust leads to lack of communication, inefficient work and missed deadlines. Emotional trust is what takes teamwork to the next level. It involves treating people with respect and kindness, providing a safe for people to confess their honest thoughts, ideas and feelings.

There are three dimensions of trustworthy behaviour that are linked top each other yet contribute separately to inculcate trust in a relationship.

  1. Ability: The knowledge, competency and skill possessed by an individual
  2. Integrity: Trustee adhering to the trustor
  3. Benevolence: Open and honest communication, sharing control and delegating decisions

 

Ways to build trust at work

According to a few studies, trust can be built at work using the following ways:

  1. Credibility: Being able to tell the truth, accepting that you're wrong and admitting when you do not know something
  2. Reliability: Being consistent and punctual as well as loyal towards your work
  3. Intimacy: Extending trust to others including people to participate being mindful about your reactions to others' work
  4. Self-orientation: Having self-awareness and knowing when to put it in action. Listening with intent, giving others a chance to talk and accepting one's failures

 

 

 

The Trust Equation uses these four factors to measure trustworthiness.

T = (C + R + I) / SO

T = Trust 
C = Perception of Credibility 
R = Perception of Reliability 
I = Intimacy 
SO = Perception of Self-Orientation 

 

Trust plays an essential role for a productive and safe workspace. It assists in improving employee experience. The pandemic has resulted in many organisations opting to work from home, as a result of which building trust is even more vital.

 

References

 

Trust and Trust Building. Beyond Intractability. (2017). Retrieved 8 May 2021, from https://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/trust_building.

Price, H. (2017). 12 practical ways to build trust at work. Blog.jostle.me. Retrieved 8 May 2021, from https://blog.jostle.me/blog/ways-to-build-trust-at-work.