Building Trust at Work Leads to Productivity

As a career development specialist, I have studied personality and how it impacts communication in the professional workplace. Using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator™ I have helped shape strategies for individuals and organizations who previously hit road blocks when trying to establish trust and open lines of communication.

One need not be certified in MBTI to encourage better communication at work. You do need a basic understanding that not all people communicate or process information the same. Sharing ideas, for example is not comfortable for everyone at work. An extrovert might be very eager to share their new ideas aloud while an introvert may need to process the information and voice their idea when the circumstances benefit them the most, and perhaps even in writing.

If your workplace does not foster ideas and innovation, new ideas may never see the light of day and great suggestions may go untapped. It’s important to cultivate an environment where creativity and out of the box thinking will be heard and considered. Some of the best and most innovative ideas come from within the organization and lead to tremendous bottom line gains. Encourage staff members at all levels to share their ideas whether verbally or in writing to give people communication options.

Sharing ideas within a team setting engenders trust and also validates the person who made the suggestion. This person will be sought after in the future as a go-to person and earn them greater respect in the organization.

Giving your team an opportunity to share feedback about an idea or proposal is another significant way to build trust. Not all ideas are great but having the team vet the proposal with constructive criticism gives them buy-in and helps build the team’s effectiveness and efficiency. The opportunity to share in the feedback process can give a team a renewed sense of purpose.

The most effective teams produce and debate new ideas and then suggest innovations for management. A team that is empowered to share their input is likely to have less turn over and higher rates of employee satisfaction. Building trust in your work environment takes effort but the results are long lasting and can revolutionize productivity.