Building Trust to Encourage Communication
“Who run the world? Girls!” -Beyoncé
No, scratch that. Hard-working, determined, driven women run the world. They’ve stretched, sacrificed, and laid awake at night wondering if they’re doing the right thing. They ask endless questions and pour themselves into their work, praying that their efforts will be recognized, their intentions honored, and their voices heard.
And now, those same women are leading teams and asking some of the same questions. Whether your leadership position was a result of a 5-year plan, lots of prayer, and very clear vision boards, or whether you worked yourself into a position of leadership because you continuously excelled in your profession, you may be wondering how to effectively combine leadership, empathy, and care, and inspire trust.
How you communicate can have an incredible impact on your success in all of these areas without becoming yet another item on your never-ending to-do list.
This may feel obvious, but it cannot be stated enough: strong communication in leadership starts and ends with trust. Trust is the secret ingredient that determines how you are heard by your team and whether they trust that you are hearing their voices and input.
Caring about your team members as people shows them that they can trust you to lead them well in work. Sometimes, casual conversations can serve the purpose of building trust, safety, and rapport, so they certainly have their place in a professional setting. Hear what your team has to say and show empathy. By understanding their perspectives, you create an environment where trust is built and communication flows.
This can also be done by tuning in to your team's ideas, concerns, and feedback. By listening actively, you foster an environment of trust and collaboration that leads to greater team cohesion, productivity, and performance. The truth is that your team members have opinions. When they feel heard and valued, they are much more likely to participate in a culture that contributes to the success of the team and not just the individual.
Share insights in a way that empowers your team, and liberally include recognition for those who are making a difference on your team. A positive communication culture fuels revenue growth and keeps your team inspired. This doesn’t mean you can’t give constructive feedback or work to change inappropriate behaviors and attitudes. It just means that you are communicating these things in a way that places the personhood of the team members first. When your team knows that they can trust you to be transparent in the difficult times, they will trust you so much more easily in the good times!
And, in the theme of celebrating good times, regularly celebrating achievements creates a team culture where there is no victory that is too big or too small to acknowledge, for themselves and each other.
To communicate well, your team has to trust that they are valued by their leader. To trust that they are valued by their leader, they must believe that you care for them. To show that you care, their personhood must be valued and prioritized. As we work every day to exemplify Christ in our personal and professional lives, treating those we lead as image-bearers of the God we serve lays an incredible foundation for building communication patterns that move us all forward.
Catrina is a business owner who believes that connection is at the heart of significant professional accomplishment. Informally, Catrina has spent most of her life collecting stories and honing her superpower: seeing the good in other people. She believes that when people feel known and understood, they feel empowered to show up at their very best.
Professionally, Catrina works as a consultant and coach through the company she owns, Happy Teams. Happy Teams provides consultation services that specialize in leadership, company culture, and employee satisfaction. Catrina holds an M.S. Ed. From Baylor University in Educational Psychology and is an Enneagram 2w3.