Trust

Four Trust-Busting Mistakes to Avoid

Four Trust-Busting Mistakes to Avoid

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Hopefully, our series of posts on creating cultures of trust has been helpful for you. Over the past couple of months, we’ve focused on some powerful trust building tactics. While I prefer sticking to the positive, it is important to acknowledge the “misses” as well as the wins. That’s why I’m sharing a few stumbling blocks to avoid: Not maximizing your onboarding system. By reassuring new employees that you’re here to help them through the…
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10 Encouraging Signs You're Creating a Culture of Trust

10 Encouraging Signs You’re Creating a Culture of Trust

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Building trust between leaders and employees (and vice versa) is an ongoing effort. Like all culture change, it doesn’t happen overnight. The work of trust building never “done.” Once earned, trust needs to be nurtured daily. However, there are encouraging signs that you’re on the right track. Here are some of the most noticeable: There’s a sense of belonging and camaraderie. People are welcoming to new hires. Coworker relationships seem friendly and people want to…
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Three Powerhouse Trust Builders to Consider

Three Powerhouse Trust Builders to Consider

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I’ve been diving deep into research on trust lately. When trust is present in an organization great things happen. There’s less anxiety. There’s more comfort in sharing concerns. This leads to people more freely sharing suggestions on how to make things better and staff are more likely to stay. Trust takes a long time to build and a short time to lose. Lots of factors are involved. In fact, there’s so much to say that Dr. Katherine…
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A Quick Technique for Building Trust with Employees

A Quick Technique for Building Trust with Employees

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In thriving healthcare organizations, trusting relationships are a foundational piece of the culture. Trust is mutual: we tend to trust people who also trust us. That’s why one of the best ways for leaders to build trust is to show trust. Here is an action that demonstrates trust: When working on a problem, ask employees for help. Share a situation or a challenge and ask employees “What do you think?” Some people will need more time. Ask them to think about the…
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Asking versus telling builds trust.

Asking versus telling builds trust.

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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…
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Building trust isn’t just the leader’s job

Building trust isn’t just the leader’s job

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We know good leader communication is a powerful trust builder. A point that sometimes gets missed is that, just like trust, communication is a two-way street. Recently we looked at what leaders can do to improve their odds of being heard …. but what can the employees do to make sure they hear and act on those messages? A few tips: Meet with employees and ask: “What does good communication look like?” Go around the room and…
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You said it - but did they hear it? 3 musts for high-trust messaging

You said it—but did they hear it? 3 musts for high-trust messaging

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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,…
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Good leader communication skills supercharge trust. Here’s why.

Good leader communication skills supercharge trust. Here’s why.

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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…
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Say Thank-Yous Often…and Accept Them Graciously

Say Thank-Yous Often…and Accept Them Graciously

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“Thank you.” “No, thank you!” One thing we will never agree on is who should be thanking whom. In 1996, I met Norm Adams. Norm was older than me and served as a life guide until his passing. His teaching lives on. In late 1999, I was considering starting my own company. I shared with Norm that I did not know what to do. The idea of leaving a secure job, in which I was happy,…
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Do Not Quit Till the Miracle Happens

Do Not Quit Till the Miracle Happens

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It’s a statement referenced often in the mental health world: Do not quit till the miracle happens. The meaning behind it is to keep going even when things are tough. Please do not take this so literally you think it means staying in an unhealthy situation. What it does mean is that if you are taking positive actions, at times the outcome may take a while to achieve. I have a front row seat to miracles. These…
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