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,…