Trust is the foundation of every high-performing team. When team members trust each other and their leader they feel confident collaborating taking risks, and performing at their peak. On the other hand, without trust, team morale and productivity suffer.
As a manager, the bulk of the responsibility falls on you to cultivate an environment of trust on your team. Here are 8 impactful ways you can build trust from the top-down:
1. Recognize Excellence and Reward It
Make it a habit to call out great work and reward exemplary performance Recognition is a vital trust builder because it shows team members their work is valued,
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Praise team members when they deliver excellent results or demonstrate core values Be specific about what they did well
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Call out contributions in team meetings so peers can acknowledge them too.
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Reward top performers with leadership opportunities, bonuses, or other incentives.
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Send thank you notes or small gifts to recognize achievements big and small.
When excellence is recognized consistently, people are motivated to bring their A-game.
2. Set Motivating Goals
Including team members in goal-setting builds trust in several ways. It shows you value their input and makes them feel invested in shared objectives.
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Discuss team and individual goals transparently. Explain how they align with organizational goals.
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Get ideas from team members and incorporate their feedback into final goals.
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Frame goals positively – focus on growth and improvement.
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Set stretch but attainable goals so people feel challenged, not defeated.
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Check in regularly on goal progress and provide support to overcome obstacles.
Aligning on motivating goals together breeds trust and collaboration.
3. Allow Autonomy
Empower your direct reports with autonomy in how they do their work. Autonomy builds trust because it shows you respect their skills and judgment.
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Give clear expectations but allow room for creativity in how they’re met.
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Seek input from team members on what support or resources they need.
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If progress isn’t on track, ask exploratory questions rather than dictate solutions.
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When giving feedback, focus on outcomes rather than micro-managing processes.
Autonomy enables people to build confidence and trust their own abilities.
4. Encourage Job Crafting
Job crafting is when employees actively redefine their roles in a way that plays to their strengths and motivations. Supporting it builds loyalty.
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Learn team members’ skills, interests, and goals.
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Identify opportunities for them to uplevel their roles based on what energizes them.
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Offer stretch assignments and new projects to cultivate skills.
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If someone is struggling with certain tasks, discuss shifting responsibilities.
Job crafting boosts engagement, showing you care about employees as individuals.
5. Communicate Openly and Often
From weekly check-ins to quarterly town halls, communication is key for alignment and transparency.
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Share company context so team members understand the why behind decisions.
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Admit mistakes quickly and sincerely when they happen.
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Listen without judgment and offer empathy.
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Solicit constructive feedback and act on suggestions when feasible.
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Set the example by communicating strategically but honestly.
Frequent, thoughtful communication, both top-down and bottom-up, builds rapport and trust.
6. Build Genuine Relationships
Get to know your team members as multidimensional people with lives outside work. It cultivates loyalty and care between you.
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Make time for 1:1 conversations focused on their development.
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Share appropriate personal anecdotes and ask about theirs.
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Celebrate milestones like birthdays, anniversaries, etc.
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Arrange team building activities for casual bonding.
When you demonstrate genuine interest in their well-being, people feel respected and valued.
7. Support Growth and Development
Investing in your team’s growth pays dividends in their performance and fulfillment at work.
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Understand individual strengths and growth areas through assessments.
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Create personalized development plans based on their goals and motivations.
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Allocate budget and time for learning. Allow mistakes as teachable moments.
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Pair mentors and coaches to provide wisdom and guidance.
When you support their growth, team members gain self-confidence and skills.
8. Be Vulnerable at Times
As a leader, it’s important to maintain confidence and poise. But occasionally opening up also builds trust.
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Share leadership lessons you’ve learned the hard way. It shows you’re human.
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Admit when you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed but are working on it.
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If the team misses a goal, take responsibility as the leader instead of blaming others.
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Ask for advice –people will appreciate your humility.
Vulnerability used strategically encourages others to let their guard down too.
The trust between a leader and team flows both ways. By modeling trustworthiness – recognizing excellence, communicating with care, investing in growth, and more – you’ll inspire reciprocal loyalty and dedication from your team.
Building robust trust starts with you but ultimately enables the entire organization to thrive with camaraderie and transparency.
How to Build Trust within Your Team – Executive Coaching for Leaders
How do I build trust on my team in the workplace?
If you want to build better trust on your team in the workplace, consider following these seven steps: 1. Foster communication Fostering communication between yourself and your team is a great way to build trust.
Why should you build trust on your team?
Building trust on your team can also allow team members to be open and honest with each other, which can be invaluable when any issues or challenges arise. This is because if team members trust each other, they’re often likely to want to work together, rather than individually, toward a common goal in a time-efficient and effective manner.
How can creately help build trust?
In the quest for building trusting teams, the environment in which collaboration occurs is pivotal. Creately’s collaborative canvas is more than just a digital workspace; it’s a breeding ground for trust and teams to flourish. Here’s how Creately fosters an inclusive environment conducive to trust building:
How do you build trust in a company?
Oftentimes, the first step to building trust is building rapport . If you don’t have trust, it’ll be more difficult to communicate and coordinate with your peers or colleagues. You may get passed over for promotions in favor of someone more trustworthy. In extreme cases, a lack of trust can even bring down your entire team or organization.
