How to build trust from a distance
The trust v uncertainty paradigm, VUCA 2.0 & high trust business
Photo by Marek Szturc on Unsplash
At the end of the Cold War the U.S. Army War College introduced the concept of VUCA to describe the Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity that characterised post war operations.
It has become the acronym to capture the chaotic world we are currently navigating.
In times of disruption and unpredictability it is a natural response to want to hold onto something stable. When the boat starts to rock, we grab tightly onto the railing and place our trust in the captain that they’ll get us through.
We seek out certainty and look for those in whom we can place our trust.
The relationship between our need for trust and unpredictability might be displayed like this:
There is a significant connection between leadership, trust and performance. Trust is a critical component of a healthy workplace culture. And as culture is by far biggest driver behind the current ‘great resignation’ (being 10 times more important than pay in predicting turnover), for leaders building trust is critical. Yet doing that remotely can be more challenging.
So how can improve the trust between those in your business? Here are five things to get you started.
Trust scale: Think about the important relationships in your team. Where do they sit on this spectrum of trust? Is it where you want it to be? What one action could you take today to shift it further in the direction that you’re seeking?
Research: Harvard’s Paul J. Zak found that people at high-trust companies report 50% higher productivity rates, 74% less stress, 106% more energy, 76% more engagement and 40% less burnout. Trust isn’t just at an individual level between manager and team member; people look to their leadership teams to be trustworthy. Here are three questions for you:
How high is trust on your leadership team agenda?
Are there any assumptions that need to be re-examined?
What opportunities could a higher level of trust bring you?
Concept: Here’s another way of looking at VUCA that you can use to define what your teams need from leaders to navigate todays chaos. What can you do to bring out more of the yellow in your leadership?
Remote trust: Ruchi Sinha identifies three important qualities that if demonstrated well help you build trust with your team remotely; demonstrating your integrity, benevolence and competence. You can read more and find tips in her HBR article How to Build Trust Remotely.
Insight: Good communication serves as a foundation for building trust. What you say, how you say it, and how you respond to others can make or break trust. McKinsey research shows that consistent communication is ranked as a priority by leadership teams, yet less than 40 percent of teams report practicing it. When leadership teams have a shared, meaningful, well understood vision, businesses are two times more likely to achieve above-median financial performance. What could that be worth to you?
If need help understanding how to strengthen your leadership in these VUCA days send a quick note to me at rebecca@rebeccajjackson.com and I’ll help you figure it out. Meantime, thanks for reading this. If you found it thought provoking, please share it with someone you know.
With thanks,
Rebecca
