The behaviours that build trust
Most people don’t stop to think about trust, because they are trustworthy and therefore expect that people will, by default, trust them. Just because you are trustworthy, however, doesn't mean that people will trust you. In addition to being trustworthy, you also need to be effective at building trust. Research conducted by our partner Intégro has identified four behaviours that must be present for trust to be developed and sustained.
Why building trust matters
The fact that a productive and secure workplace comes when employees first and foremost trust those leaders who, in turn, trust them and treat them with respect, is perhaps the least surprising insight that arises from research in this area.
Such research by Cornell and Washington Universities demonstrated the benefits of building a trust-based culture. They tested the idea that when employees believe their managers don't keep commitments and fail to act in a way that engenders trust, profits will suffer.
They discovered that such behaviour reduces employees’ passion for their job and for the company itself, thereby damaging customer satisfaction, employee retention and, ultimately, profitability.
Presented in conjunction with the Everything DiSC® Workplace Profile on Catalyst™, Building Trust with DiSC is a team engagement program that combines engaging group training with one-on-one debriefs for team leaders and managers.
The Four Behaviours
Acceptance
"Who you are is OK with me"
Not to be confused with non-critical approval, Acceptance focuses on being accommodating rather than selfishly strong-willed, tactful rather than frank and receptive rather than sceptical.
Openness
"I give and ask for feedback freely"
Openness is about being outgoing rather than private, focused on possibilities rather than simply centred on observable realities and being adaptably unstructured rather than structured.
Congruence
"What I say is what I mean"
Perhaps the most misunderstood behaviour, it can more colloquially known as straightforwardness. The focus is on being firm-willed and clear-minded rather than simply obliging and conversations are open and frank, rather than obtusely tactful.
Reliability
"I'll do what I say I'll do"
Unlike Congruence, Reliability is easy for everyone to understand, if only because we know what it is, but sometimes struggle to achieve it. The focus is on what's seen more than what's spoken and how well the other three behaviours are made evident in real life experience.