Looking to spark a trust-building conversation with someone you lead? Start with a question. Asking (not telling) builds rapport, fosters psychological safety, and makes people feel heard and valued. It’s a great way to show them you care about their thoughts and ideas. In the book I wrote in collaboration with Dr. Katherine Meese–The Human Margin: Building the Foundations of Trust—we share a list of trust-building questions leaders can ask during rounding and at other…

I was fortunate to get to collaborate with Dr. Katherine A. Meese, Ph.D on a book that shares research on why trust is front and center in today’s workplace. (If you’re interested it’s called The Human Margin: Building the Foundations of Trust.) One of its main points is that the better leaders are at communication, the more employees will trust them. Over the years I’ve learned that even when we think we’ve communicated a message,…

During the next few weeks, I’m going to zero in on of the key factors in creating great healthcare organizations. Trust. As Dr. Katherine Meese and I explored in The Human Margin: Building the Foundations of Trust, this has never mattered more than it does right now. Trust is at the heart of everything today’s employees want. It helps with retention, promotes wellbeing, creates engagement and a sense of belonging…the list goes on. One of…

Part Five in a Five-Part Series on Communication and Cultures of Trust Over the past four weeks, we have explored the subject of communication and the role it plays in building a culture of trust. As we discussed early on, great communication helps leaders create clarity and reduce anxiety, demonstrate empathy and understanding, build strong relationships with employees, and much more. (All of these contribute to trust and, ultimately, high performance.) We’ve also talked about what keeps…