7 Ways to Build a Culture of Trust

Your mom was right. Honesty is the best policy. That classic saying, drilled into us as children, still holds true today.

Being honest still requires courage — even more so today — especially when the truth can be uncomfortable to share and even more challenging for the intended recipient (a co-worker) to hear.

We often share that we foster a flat organization and that no task is too big or small for anyone at our agency. We honor our teams’ unique strengths and what they individually bring to our company. We also prioritize transparency and having open communication channels across our team, and we believe that focus is helping us build relationships and trust. 

According to a Forbes article, transparency is described as the process of being open, honest, and straightforward about various company operations in the spirit of making everyone aware of what is going on in an organization. But what exactly does that mean for companies? 

To us, transparency helps create a positive working environment by promoting open communication channels at all levels and being honest about company operations and decisions — even when the news isn’t the greatest to share.

This includes sharing successes and failures, admitting mistakes and asking for help when needed.

Here are seven ways we have benefited from openness, along with suggestions on how leaders can move toward more of it to build a more transparent workplace culture.

1. Think in terms of “we,” not “me.”

A transparent culture prioritizes a team that works together. We rise together. We fail together. That means when something doesn’t go as expected, we communicate a united front to the client and don’t point fingers. 

2. Deliver constructive feedback with kindness.

Sometimes, feedback is harsh to share, especially when it’s brutally honest and needs to be delivered to a team member who isn’t doing what they need to do. But you can provide the feedback in a caring and compassionate way. One way to do this is to share that the input is in the spirit of helping them grow and succeed at the company, acknowledging that the feedback is tough to share and even more challenging for them to hear. 

3. Do what you say you will do.

This may seem like a no-brainer, but a leader’s credibility is quickly diminished when they don’t do what they say they will. As a leader, hit your deadlines and show up to the meeting with your tasks completed. Follow up to the important management tasks that relate to a co-worker’s career path at your company. 

4. Share when you’re wrong.

Making mistakes is part of agency life. Fail fast, admit your mistake and move on — and that goes for leaders. Evaluate what you can do differently next time and take what you have learned to heart. Be vulnerable. We often share successes and failures so everyone understands what happened and what we can do differently next time. 

5. Prioritize one-on-one opportunities to strengthen relationships.

We prioritize opportunities for employees to build relationships with our team, continuing what starts on the first day of employment. We also encourage opportunities for the team to be together and build community. Make time for your team, and that includes spending time with them individually. It’s a safe environment for them to share their concerns and worries, and this time together (for us, it’s individual meetings twice monthly) helps build personal connections and build trust by sharing experiences at work and in our personal lives.

6. Assign ownership and manage accountability.

This starts by making sure it’s clear who owns each task within a project for each client. Use a project management software (we use Asana) to effectively assign ownership and deadlines so there’s no confusion about deliverables. Set expectations and standardize a review process, especially in the first year. Transparency into who is working on what leads to better collaboration and results.

7. Constantly ask why.

We are consistently pushing our clients to answer why so we can build a strategy to support it. What is the KPI? What are we trying to do? If the goals are understood, it’s easier to work toward them. Asking why also fosters meaningful conversations within our team about the goals and uncovers different ways to achieve them. Some of our best ideas come out of these sessions.

In summary, transparency builds trust. We’ve learned that co-workers who trust one another work better together, cultivating a team culture that is both productive and rewarding. 

How have you fostered transparency in your business? Drop me a line at bcastellini@wordsworthweb.com.