The Trust Triangle

Preface The Problem Trust is the foundation of all meaningful relationships, yet 70 per cent of professionals don’t trust their managers (Engage for Success, 2013). Seventy per cent! It’s a number that actually surprises few but profoundly concerns most of the awesome thought leaders alive today. From Simon Sinek to Patrick Lencioni, Paul Zak to Brené Brown, all agree that a lack of trust is the root of faltering relationships and mediocrity at work. What galvanised me to write this book was the lack of tools to address this appalling problem. There wasn’t a clear—or, more importantly—practical roadmap for building trust that centred on one of the most important relationships at work—you and your manager. I work with managers every day, and it was this dilemma that necessitated the development of this program. By implementing The Trust Triangle, you can now offer teams an environment where you (the manager) and they (your team) can genuinely flourish at work, unburdened by the baggage of a people manager without people management skills. At the moment you’re probably (inadvertently) weighing your team members down and holding them back. The great news is you can change that. Here’s the business case in a nutshell. According to a massive study by Gallup, managers account for at least 70 per cent of the variance in employee engagement scores (Beck & Harter, 2014). That dovetails perfectly with another large study by Engage for Success. They’re the folks who found that 70 per cent of professionals don’t trust their managers (Engage for Success, 2013). They also discovered that companies with low engagement scores earn an operating income 32.7 per cent lower than companies with more engaged employees (MacLeod & Clarke, 2009). And what did Engage for Success recommend as an enabler for success? Yep, engaging managers. The Solution Managers are the conduits between the leaders of an organisation and their workforce. I have focused on managers for this reason as they are the delegators, deliverers, operators, administrators, educators, mentors, and evaluators (among other duties). This program, however, is equally powerful for team members to grasp. I’ve taught The Trust Triangle to customer service reps, data scientists and salespeople, so please don’t hold back from sharing The Trust Triangle with team members across your business to help them understand the powerful ingredients that build trust at work. There is absolutely no reason to use this methodology in stealth mode, so please, share it far and wide in your organisation. Unlike with other management/team leader training programs—the goals of which are wide, varied, and often unfit for the modern workplace—the focus of this book is laser sharp. I will demonstrate how to build trust at work to increase performance. By using clearly defined steps that are simple to implement and powerful when practised, you can become an outstanding people manager. I will introduce you to three key domains of trust transformation: empathy, energy, and expertise. Empathy is often the least practised but can have the greatest impact. Beware, though—it is often misrepresented. Empathy is not about being ‘nice’. It’s neither weak nor soft. True empathy is a frickin’ superpower! It’s a real driver for trust and gives team leaders the ability to have meaningful conversations which are usually avoided at work. Empathy also contextualises communication and encourages a growth mindset as well as prioritising the development of people and processes. Apathetic people managers (from CEOs down) can see team members as a ‘number’ in a ‘role’ instead of human beings with all the needs of a human being. First of all, at the end of each chapter, there are clear instructions, called ‘Tools’. Don’t expect any categorical change without any categorical action. There’s also a checklist for change at the end of the book which lists all the top tips, tools, and techniques that have been mentioned throughout the book. Be consistent with this action, and I promise that you will see tons of benefits manifesting. They include the following: · An understanding of the basics. You’ll understand the role, relationships, and responsibilities of a manager. · Insight and tools to understand what really motivates people at work. From creating the right culture to celebrating success, you’ll have techniques to blow apathy out of the water, and you’ll have the tools to replace apathy with a vibrant and productive workplace. · A significant increase in emotional intelligence. You’ll manage your emotions much better due to a tangible improvement in your self-awareness and the tools to manage relationships with others. · A massive increase in your communication skills. You’ll gain the ability to handle conflict through effective feedback skills and the ability to influence and make an impact. You’ll learn how to manage meetings as well as manage up. · Brilliant delegation skills with the know-how to increase accountability (in yourself and others) and encourage autonomy. · Better recognition of others to increase performance. · Tools to coach and mentor your team members. So, rev up your inner engine and let’s do this! Note: any references in this book pertaining to ‘team leader’ or ‘manager’ are interchangeable and mean the same thing. The term ‘manager’ can feel like an echo from a bygone era, hence our more preferred wording ‘team leader’. Also, I consult for businesses that primarily work in an office environment. Therefore, this book has been written specifically with that setting in mind. Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds relationships. —Stephen Covey