In this lesson, you'll learn about the importance of trust in the ap-praisal process. You'll also learn what you need to do to engender your employees' trust.
In Lesson 10, "The Meeting," I discuss the importance of candor to the appraisal process. Candor cannot exist without trust. If your employees have any concerns about your motives, they will not trust you.
If you doubt the last statement, recall your experiences with two very different salespeople. The first salesperson gives the impression that her only interest is in the sale. The second demonstrates a genuine interest in helping you make the right decision. Which of the two do you trust? Do you respond as openly to the questions of both salespeople? Of course not!
With the first salesperson, you weigh your responses. You expect her to use everything you say to serve her purpose, making the sale. The way you protect yourself is to withhold information. In other words, your responses lack candor.
Does the second salesperson elicit the same cautious responses? No, your responses are open and honest. In fact, you usually provide more information than the salesperson needs. Why? You know the information will be used to help you, not hurt you.
Your employees react in the same way. When they trust you, they are candid with you. When they don't trust you, they withhold information. It's virtually impossible for you to succeed in your leadership role when employees withhold information about their fears, interests, goals, and reward preferences. That's why it's so important that you gain your employees' trust.
A leader's strength is measured by the trust her employees place in her. Trust is not a right; it's a privilege that must be earned every day of your existence. Sadly, trust earned over a period of years can be lost in a few seconds. An ill-chosen word or a senseless act is all that it takes to lose trust.
Fortunately, your employees don't expect you to be perfect. In fact, most employees are very forgiving, if you've earned the right to be forgiven.
Employees forgive mistakes that might otherwise cost you their trust when your past acts and words consistently show you to be worthy of trust. When you normally behave in ways that elicit trust, workers recognize mistakes for what they are. Employees find it easy to forgive the occasional failing. They find it almost impossible to forgive a violation of trust.
Now that we have a sense of the importance of trust, let's see what we have to do to earn that trust.
Your employees must believe that you are genuinely interested in their success. As I tell people in my seminars, "That should be easy. After all, it's you who looks good when your team is successful."
Your employees need to know that you will tout their successes for them. Everyone desires recognition, but most people are reluctant to brag about their successes. By publicly stating your employees' accomplishments you assure them the recognition they deserve without the risk of being labeled a braggart.
Here are some of the benefits you'll realize when you recognize your employees' success:
Your employees continue to strive for success.
Your employees view you as someone so comfortable with your success that you don't need to "steal" anyone else's.
Your employees respect your integrity.
Your interest in your employees' success will stimulate their interest in your success.
Your employees will be completely candid with you. Their candor makes it easier for you to succeed.
Tip
When presenting an idea, make sure that you credit the employee who came up with the idea. Even if your employee isn't present at the meeting, word will get back to her that you recognized her contribution in front of others. This simple act endears you to your employee and gives her an additional incentive to come up with more ideas. Recognition is a powerful motivator.
While it's important to recognize employees' accomplishments publicly, it's equally important to discuss their shortcomings privately. You know what it's like when someone speaks poorly of you in public. It's embarrassing. You won't gain your employees' trust by embarrassing them in public.
Even though you know better, you can easily fall into the trap of discussing an employee's performance with others. Here are a couple of the more common traps.
You want to vent your frustration before discussing the problem with the employee. The last thing you want to do is begin this type of discussion when you're angry. If that's the case, wait until the end of the day, vent with a loved one who doesn't know the employee, and then go back the next day and discuss the problem with your employee.
At other times, you want the counsel of others on how to deal with this specific performance problem. That's fine, just make sure that you choose counselors who honor confidences. The sting of betrayal will be just as great whether it comes from your lips or those of your advisors.
If you want your employee's trust, discuss her performance only with her and only in private.
How do you feel when someone gives you the impression that she is better than you are? Does the fact that she possesses more talent than you alter your feelings? Absolutely not! An attitude of superiority is insulting even when the individual possesses incredible skills.
It's easy for leaders to develop an attitude of superiority. To understand why, let's assume that your boss just announced your promotion. In effect, she said, "This person has demonstrated abilities greater than those of her peers. I am rewarding her by giving her authority over you." Pretty heady stuff.
Is it any wonder that you feel superior to your new charges? Of course not! If you choose to allow that feeling of superiority to persist, you'll lose your employees' interest in helping you become successful. If, however, you overcome these feelings, you'll win their respect and trust.
Your employees need to trust that you won't compare them to their co-workers. I don't know whether you've ever had your skills or abilities compared to someone else's. I have.
Experience has taught me that in a comparison like this, one person is treated favorably, the other unfavorably. In other words, there is a winner and a loser. No one likes to be the loser. Even winners cringe at the comparison. Why? They don't like being used as an instrument of criticism.
Often, comparisons are made without your realizing what you're doing. You might make a comparison like this: "Jim has found this technique to be particularly helpful; you might want to give it a try." I don't care how pure your motives are, you just told this employee that his technique isn't as good as Jim's.
Do you trust people who cast you in an unfavorable light? Do you trust people who repeatedly belittle you by using others to demonstrate your failings? Then use your experience to guide your actions. Treat each employee as the individual she is.
Nothing endears you to your employees more than a willingness to admit when you're wrong. You know what it's like to deal with someone who knows she's wrong and won't admit it? You hate it. You also lose respect for the individual. Her actions indicate a lack of integrity. Integrity is an important component of trust, so she also loses your trust. Is that how you want your employees to view you? If not, then be willing to admit when you're wrong.
Micromanagement is a term we hear all too often these days. Those of us who have had the misfortune of working for a micromanager know how frustrating this can be. We'd like to ask, "Why don't you find a machine to do this?" or, "Why don't you do it yourself?"
Plain English
Micromanagement is the term used to describe a managerial style in which the manager controls minute details of the effort.
You can avoid this reaction by allowing employees to choose their own devices or approaches to doing the work. Here's what the employee "hears" when you allow her to choose the approach:
"I trust you to do a good job."
"You know what you're doing; you don't need my help."
"Your method is as good as mine."
These statements indicate respect for the individual and trust in her abilities and judgment. It's much easier for people to trust you if you trust them. Trust your employees! Leave them to their own devices!
Your words and actions need to match if you want others to trust you. I'm not talking just about the big things; I'm talking about everything.
If you tell an employee you'll help him with a problem later in the day, make sure you help him before the day is out. If you promise to provide information he needs, don't make him ask a second time. If you set a deadline, follow up to make sure the deadline is met.
It's actions like these that tell your employees how good your word is. If your word is your bond, they'll trust you to mean what you say. If you don't honor your word, they'll treat your words as lackadaisically as you do. The choice is yours.
You must earn your employees' trust every day of your existence. The amount of trust you earn is determined by
Your interest in their success.
The public recognition you give their accomplishments.
Your ability to keep their failings private.
Your success at treating employees as peers.
Your ability to avoid comparing one employee to another.
Your willingness to admit to being wrong.
Your success in avoiding the micromanagement trap.
Your ability to match your actions to your words.