How trust enriches the team productivity by Eva Bielitzer

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Why Trust is the Key to Boosting Team Productivity

Hello, everyone! I'm thrilled to share with you today, an essential element that significantly impacts team productivity - Trust. As a leading senior product manager at C and E Commerce, and with my rich background in market and media research, as well as business psychology, I believe understanding and fostering trust within a team is fundamental for achieving high levels of performance and engagement.

Understanding Trust

According to the Oxford Learners Dictionaries, "trust is the belief that somebody or something is good, sincere, honest, and will not try to harm or trick you."

Scientifically speaking, when we trust someone, our brain releases the hormone oxytocin. This hormone not only increases our trust levels but also boosts our motivation to work collaboratively and heightens our sense of empathy.

The Impact of Trust on Businesses

Performing at a top revenue level is 2.5 times more likely for organizations identified as high trust companies. Some of the benefits employees experience working in high trust companies versus low trust companies include:

  • 74% less stress,
  • 106% more energy at work,
  • 50% higher productivity,
  • 76% higher engagement, and
  • 13% fewer sick days.

According to Google, psychological safety in teams—the ability to take risks without fear of judgment—is the most significant influencer of team performance.

Hence, trust is not merely a desirable trait; it's a hard necessity.

Building Trust within an Organization through Management Behaviors

Dr. Paul Zak, a well-known trust scientist, identified eight behaviors that generate organizational trust. These key management behaviors are:

  • Show appreciation
  • Design challenges
  • Give discretion in how to do work
  • Enable interest-driven work
  • Create transparency
  • Build relationships
  • Facilitate personal growth, and
  • Show vulnerability.

By understanding and integrating these behaviors into your organizational culture, you'll establish a solid foundation of trust.

Unpacking the Trust-Building Behaviors

Show Appreciation

Research indicates that immediate recognition after meeting a goal significantly boosts employee morale and performance. Ensure that appreciation is personal, tangible, unexpected, public, and includes recognition from peers.

Design Challenges

When employees are faced with moderate levels of stress, their focus and problem-solving abilities increase. Set difficult but achievable goals and give your team clear capabilities to meet them. Always remember to allow recovery time from stress.

Give Discretion on How to Work

By allowing individuals to work their way, you foster a climate of innovation and openness. Allow your team to express their creativity and make decisions without micromanagement. Embrace mistakes and discuss them openly.

Create Transparency

Only 40% of employees feel well-informed about company goals, strategy, and tactics. To foster trust, maintain transparency in your organization by sharing information broadly and regularly, and make it easy for employees to stay updated.

Build Relationships

Developing strong relationships between managers and their teams and among team members helps increase performance. Encourage your team to get to know each other better and arrange regular team events.

Enable Interest-Driven Work

When employees work on projects they're interested in, their productivity surges. Encourage your employees to work on what interests them and offer flexible work models.

Facilitate Personal Growth

Consider the personal interests of your employees when assigning roles and work. This will not only make them happier but also help in retaining them.

Show Vulnerability

Admitting your mistakes or knowledge gaps shows your team that you're human and fallible. This honesty encourages them to be open about their shortcomings, fostering a positive work culture where everyone can learn and grow together.

Trust: A Foundational Element of High-Performing Organizations

Cultivating a culture of trust is essential for high-performing organizations. Remember the words of Warren Buffett: "Trust is like the air we breathe. When it's present, nobody really notices. When it's absent, everybody notices."

Let's all strive to infuse trust into our organizations. Thank you all for taking the time to read this, and I look forward to hearing any questions or thoughts you might have on the subject.


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