Here's how you can establish and uphold trust with your teams and colleagues.

Make the plan. Take as long as is needed to make sure everyone understands the plan and their role in it. Be consistent in the good as well as the bad. Don't be afraid of the hard conversations.

Rule #1 of building trust - understand that it takes time and not a step function. Rule #2 of building trust - deliver on your word/commitment(s) - that establishes credibility

Effective communication is a fundamental component for establishing clarity within a team. It fosters trust and encourages transparency. I consistently implement an honest conversation policy, which helps ensure that every team member feels integral to our successes and is actively engaged in addressing challenges collaboratively. This has helped me to have long lasting relationships with my team.

Communication acts as a lubricant, absorbing friction and ensuring the smooth flow of direction and information essential for the team to create value. This value stems from the collective efforts of the team and the organization. Encouraging transparency in communication fosters trust and helps convey this value effectively to the team.

Clear and open communication is vital. Share information transparently and be available for discussions. In my experience at 1st National Bank St. Lucia Limited, holding regular town hall meetings where I addressed both company successes and challenges helped in building a culture of openness. This approach ensured that everyone felt informed and valued, which fostered trust.

The written and spoken words are obviously important, but the tone, the body language, the form, the context, and the energy, is much more essential. All together, that cannot be faked, but instead will resonate much more deeply, and longer, and be inspiring and motivating. The communication will be felt and it will touch those intended receivers.

Offene Kommunikation: Sorgen Sie dafür, dass Informationen transparent und zeitnah weitergegeben werden. Seien Sie ehrlich und offen über Herausforderungen und Erfolge. Zuverlässigkeit: Halten Sie Ihre Versprechen und Zusagen ein. Zeigen Sie, dass Sie zuverlässig und vertrauenswürdig sind, indem Sie konsistent handeln. Empathie zeigen: Hören Sie aktiv zu und zeigen Sie echtes Interesse an den Meinungen und Gefühlen Ihrer Kollegen. Ein respektvoller Umgang fördert eine positive Arbeitsatmosphäre.

Although it might sometimes be tricky to gauge how far one could go to be authentic, I think honesty is the best policy although it sounds kind of cliche. If one’s intention comes from the right place, there’s a bigger chance that it would be manifested in his words and actions. Having worked in organisations where many if not most of my peers are from the west, sometimes I think I’ve forgotten how to “interact appropriately” when it comes to interacting with my Asian peers/managers. I guess it’s time for me to relearn some things.

Set a great vision. Include others in the creation and validation of that strategy and then most importantly, Do what you say you are going to do. If you deliver, people will trust you and will come with you on the next stage of the journey. If you don't deliver on any stage of the journey, be reflective, own up to it, learn the best lessons you can from any miss or failure and continue onward. Your team will appreciate it if you persevere especially if you don't quit easily.

Integrity is the cornerstone of trust. Always act ethically and honor your commitments. During a critical project at Unicomer, we faced significant logistical challenges. By being honest about the situation and working collaboratively to find solutions, I demonstrated integrity and earned my team’s respect and trust. Keeping promises, admitting mistakes, and demonstrating accountability are key actions.

We all know and can tell when people we work with are not acting with integrity. That's fairly basic. I think the issue exists much more when those people themselves are blind to their actions or statements. When they convince themselves of the prejudice, untruthfulness, bias, or however the lack of integrity appears. In these situations, everyone else is left to fight two battles. One on the lack integrity, and another on the conviction. That takes a lot of energy and especially when it feels so wrong. Add to this that those people who blind themselves also often can appear quite stubborn in their positions, and the battle is further uphill. So, to avoid pointless battles, demand integrity of yourself and others. Or go elsewhere.

Trust the team members and their abilities. This will motivate the team to contribute to the best of their abilities and go beyond. Respecting their opinions ad decisions will empower them to make hard decisions.

Empowering your team shows that you trust their abilities and judgment. Delegate responsibilities and provide the necessary resources and support. When we launched a new product line at Unicomer - Courts Business Solutions, I entrusted team leads with decision-making authority, which not only boosted their confidence but also led to innovative solutions. Empowerment encourages ownership and accountability, reinforcing mutual trust.

Empowerment is not just delegation, trust and providing a setup for someone to take ownership. It is much more about embracing the individual and giving this person a belief in themselves. Empowerment is essentially to set someone free to believe that they can do it. You do this by leading them into this belief by you showing them that you believe they can do it.

Establishing and upholding trust with your teams and colleagues is rooted in empowering others. Start by delegating meaningful tasks, showing that you trust their capabilities. Provide the necessary resources and autonomy to make decisions, which fosters a sense of ownership and accountability. Encourage professional growth by offering opportunities for development and recognizing achievements. Create a supportive environment where team members feel valued and heard. By empowering others, you build a culture of mutual respect and trust, driving motivation and enhancing team performance.

Consistency in actions and decisions builds reliability. Ensure that your behavior aligns with your words and that you apply policies and standards uniformly. At 1st National Bank St. Lucia Limited, consistently recognizing hard work through a structured reward system helped in maintaining trust. Consistency in management practices fosters a predictable and stable work environment, where employees know what to expect.

Establishing and upholding trust with your teams and colleagues hinges on fostering inclusion. Start by creating a welcoming environment where diverse perspectives are valued and respected. Encourage open dialogue and actively listen to all voices, ensuring everyone feels heard and appreciated. Implement policies that promote equity and provide equal opportunities for growth and development. Celebrate differences and create team-building activities that highlight diverse strengths. By fostering inclusion, you build a foundation of trust, where team members feel safe, supported, and empowered to contribute their best.

Inclusion is absolutely essential to ensure people feel seen and heard and appreciated. As a leader, our most important role is to shine a light on others and pave the way for others to participate and contribute.

Create an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and heard. Encourage diverse perspectives and make sure all voices are considered in decision-making processes. At Unicomer, forming cross-functional teams for major projects allowed us to leverage diverse skills and viewpoints, leading to better outcomes and a sense of collective trust. Inclusivity promotes a sense of belonging and mutual respect.

Regularly seek feedback and be open to making changes based on input from your team. Trust is a two-way street; by showing that you value and act on their feedback, you reinforce their trust in your leadership. Additionally, invest in team-building activities that strengthen relationships and encourage collaboration. Personal experience: Organizing quarterly retreats at 1st National Bank St. Lucia Limited not only provided a break from routine but also helped in bonding and building trust among team members.

Authenticity and integrity are key here. Don’t place yourself on a pedestal and make sure that your team can identify with you. Being appreciative of your team allowing them to contribute input and ideas with an open door policy is a game changer

Lob und Anerkennung: Würdigen Sie die Leistungen und Beiträge Ihrer Kollegen. Ein einfaches Dankeschön oder öffentliches Lob kann Wunder wirken und das Vertrauen stärken. Fairness und Gleichbehandlung: Behandeln Sie alle Teammitglieder fair und gleich. Vermeiden Sie Bevorzugungen und sorgen Sie für eine gerechte Arbeitsverteilung. Vertrauen zu gewinnen und zu bewahren erfordert Zeit und kontinuierliche Anstrengung. Durch konsequente Anwendung dieser Prinzipien können Sie ein starkes Fundament des Vertrauens innerhalb Ihres Teams schaffen und aufrechterhalten.