Three Actions to Build Trust and Keep At-work Relationships Productive During Volatile Times

Three Actions to Build Trust and Keep At-work Relationships Productive During Volatile Times

Rage. Rancor. Resentment. Disgust. Celebration. Defiant. Fervent. Partisan.

These words, and others like them, have dominated news reports in the U.S. over the last few weeks. Just when we thought the country could not feel more divided than it was leading up to and after the 2016 U.S. presidential election, recent events surrounding Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh’s hearings demonstrate that emotions – and strongly emotional responses – continue to escalate in nearly every forum from dinner tables to not-so-friendly conversations among friends to classrooms to workplaces. And with mid-term elections one month off, the tenor of public and private discourse is likely to become even more fraught.

These are risky times for leaders and managers committed to engaging workers in a shared strategy for their organizations. We know that among the most critical skills engaging leaders demonstrate is active listening. But how – and where – to draw the line between encouraging open dialogue and providing a cover for divisive behavior (especially covert, masked behavior) is a major challenge.

These three actions will help CEOs and senior leaders build trust and keep at-work relationships productive during volatile times.

  1. Name the elephant in the room. Acknowledge that these are trying times for many, with extremely strong emotions having been stirred across the political and personal spectrum.
  2. Establish clear expectations – and boundaries. Remind employees that diverse opinions and perspectives are critical to solving business problems and innovating new ideas, products and services. And on the flipside, personal opinions and perspectives on divisive issues simply do not belong in the workplace. Encourage workers who have personal concerns about workplace practices or actions to take them promptly and directly to a designated resource, such as their Human Resources professional or an Employee Assistance Program advocate.
  3. Recommit to the dignity of every individual. This is one example of where “say-do” is sacrosanct. We often talk about respect in the workplace, and many companies include that word in their values statements. That’s good. Now scan the way you carry yourself, the way you interact with colleagues at all levels – the words you choose and your body language. Make sure that you are “doing” respect as much as you are talking about it. Whether or not they realize it, employees are watching you for cues about what is acceptable behavior. If you are a senior leader, you are used to living in a fishbowl. Recognize that this is truer now than ever.

For more on communicating during divisive times, check out this article, posted on Inauguration Day, 2017.

5 Ways to Build a Culture of Engagement

5 Ways to Build a Culture of Engagement

Connect with Employees

A Gallup Business Journal article states that “only about one-third of U.S. workers are engaged at work and just 13% of employees worldwide are engaged.” That’s a problem – especially since engagement has a direct effect on business results. Compared to their less engaged counterparts, companies that rank high for employee engagement are:

  • 21% more profitable
  • 17% more productive
  • have 10% better customer ratings
  • experience 41% less absenteeism and
  • suffer 70% fewer safety incidents

(Source: Gallup)

So how do you create engagement? Leadership communication is key.

Research shows a culture where leaders demonstrate trust, fairness and open communication are most effective at attracting and retaining top talent.

Where to start? Bite off one big initiative at a time. Here are five tips from Aon on how to build a strong culture of engagement:

  1. How You Operate: Reduce frustration…people want work that is enabled by the right resources and tools. Set them up for success. Make sure employees have what they need to get their jobs done — equipment, training, tools and resources, and a clear understanding of the task, the process and expectations.
  1. How You Communicate: Create a magnetic employer brand that attracts and motivates. Do you have an employee value proposition? Does your communication strategy embody your organization’s values and mission/vision? Do employees understand and connect with your strategy? Do you use your external marketing messages internally? Do you use storytelling to inspire and motivate?
  1. How You Compensate and Acknowledge: Pay and recognize people in alignment with individual and company performance.
  1. How You Develop: Build a clear path and options for horizontal or vertical growth.
  1. How You Strengthen Relationships: Provide opportunities and feedback that enables talent to grow and develop. What can you do – within your team – to enable productivity by making sure people have the tools and resources to get the work done? How can you connect your work with the strategy and business outcomes? How can you provide strengthen your team by providing feedback and opportunities for open conversation?

Every organization is different. Where would you start?  What are you hearing and seeing? If you’d like to start a conversation on where you would start, contact me at kerrigan@on-the-same-page.com.