Why Creating a Culture of Trust Matters
In today’s world, business owners are constantly looking for ways to be more innovative and agile in the quest for long-term success. However, one of the most frequently overlooked components of success is trust.
Not prioritizing creating a culture of trust can be costly in terms of money, time, and reputation. If your workforce doesn’t trust you, it’s all but impossible for your business to operate effectively or efficiently. Without trust, teammates will be fearful of making decisions, which means they will seek approval for even the simplest things.
A lack of trust can also cause employees to feel unsupported and uncertain. They’re less likely to be honest and upfront about issues and concerns. They’re also less likely to bring new thoughts and ideas to the table.
Trust is hard to build but extremely easy to break. And once trust has been broken, it can take a long time to fix it.
Why trust is so crucial
In the workplace, trust is when you can count on your employees, and they can count on you. It means believing that each person will do what is expected of them. Trustworthy leaders bring countless benefits to a company.
When employees trust their superiors, innovation, engagement, and productivity increase. With trust comes freedom, and when employees feel free to make decisions and work without fear, your business can benefit from huge productivity gains.
Trust also impacts the influence you have on others. Workers at all levels should feel as if they have the ability to be heard and to make a difference.
There’s no better feeling than mutual trust. Simply put, it makes things operate faster and more smoothly.
5 ways to create a culture of trust
Creating a culture of trust isn’t always straightforward. Here are 5 tried and true ways that you can build a workforce that is trustworthy and trusts you.
1. Become an active listener
We’re all guilty of falling into the trap of interrupting and only caring about getting our own point across. In order to build a culture of trust within your company, everyone has to embrace active listening. This means actually hearing what others are saying and digesting it.
Leaders must be willing to engage with employees, giving them the chance to ask questions and to voice concerns. In turn, answers should be provided to ease any fears or worries.
2. Honesty is always the best policy
Even during those difficult situations, always tell the truth instead of saying what you think people want to hear. At the same time, being honest doesn’t mean that you have to neglect others’ feelings.
Communicate the facts while being considerate of who you’re engaged with. Be mindful of their feelings and how your words impact them.
It’s also important to be supportive. Being understanding and empathetic goes a long way. Even when someone messes up, support them, as this is a key part of building trust.
3. Embrace accountability
At the end of the day, no one is perfect. We all make mistakes, especially as business owners. It’s important that you and leaders within your company acknowledge when they mess up. It’s also just as important to acknowledge successes.
By embracing accountability, employees will see you as credible and are more likely to follow in your footsteps. So how can you foster accountability?
Start by encouraging honest dialogue. Evaluate every project, to include the good and the bad. Write down lessons learned and closely track deadlines and milestones. By taking these simple yet meaningful steps, you can slowly but surely build a culture of trust.
4. Be consistent
Doing what you say you’ll do consistently plays a huge role in building trust overtime. Sticking to your word and meaning what you say can’t be things that you do occasionally. If you want your employees to trust you, make it a priority to keep your commitments.
5. Be a role model
Nothing speaks louder about your business’ culture than the actions and behaviors of its leader. How you act, and react, influences what your employees do and how they feel throughout the workday.
Start by modeling the behavior that you want to see from your workers. Reinforce things such as teamwork and communication. Give credit to employees for doing awesome work. In turn, you’re setting the stage for a culture of appreciation and gratitude.
A trustworthy company is a successful one
As a business owner, trust not only pertains to your employees. While it’s crucial that you have a mutually trustworthy relationship with your workforce, it’s just as important for your customers to trust you. This is especially true in the construction and house flipping industries.
Your clients need to be confident that you're providing high quality work using high quality materials. Real estate investors and homeowners alike need to be able to trust that you're providing sound guidance on projects.
When customers trust you, they’re more likely to come back for your services in the future. This helps to create a steady flow of work. At the same time, it also increases the chances of referrals and a growing customer base.
So how can you build trust with your customers and consumers as a whole? Some of the best ways to show that your brand is trustworthy include:
Always provide top notch customer service
Be honest and transparent
Prioritize communication and engagement with your customers
Cultivate relationships
Always take ownership of the problem
Choose HomeRX Cattanooga
At Home RX Chattanooga, we value the importance of creating a culture of trust both within our company and with our customers. If you're looking for a home improvement contractor that values your time, money, and vision, look no further.
Contact our team today and let’s discuss your vision for your real estate investment property or home renovation needs.