7 truths about trust every people manager needs to know

If you truly want to be a good, effective manager and you want your people to trust you, there are a few little (actually not so little) truths you need to know that will help you build trust with your people.

Why trust? Well, you are not going to get much out of your people if they don't trust you. However, we've proven time and time again that where there is trust in a team (and we actually define trust and measure it), there is also great performance - and that not only makes everyone work better together and feel better about being at work, it absolutely delivers to the bottom line (and that's really what most people in business want to get to).

So, here are the 7 truths about trust every people manager needs to know:

1. Your people are relying on you! The question is, what are they relying on your for? Trust is all about relying on someone or something to deliver a specific outcome. You need to know that they are not just there for the ride, but their performance as a team, and as individuals are directly related to how much they can rely on you, and it all comes down to 3 core things - Expectations, Needs and Promises (what I call ENPs)

2. Expectations are formed before they even start - what Expectations do your people have of you? Where did they come from? You will have created them in the job interview. The branding of the company would have created them, and so on. fail to meet their Expectations, and you have a problem on your hands.

3. People will always find ways to satisfy their Needs - we all do it, just mostly subconsciously. What Needs are each of your people seeking to have satisfied by you and by their work? Understanding these and meeting them is critical to your success as a manager.

4. You make Promises all the time - Yes you do! We all do. But when your people are relying on those Promises and you don't meet them, again, major problems. Being aware of what Promises you are making to your people is the start, and the minute you begin writing them all down, you'll be shocked at how many you make!

5. You need a two way contribution - many companies make a point of telling their employees what they Expect of their people, and what they Need, but very few find out what their people Expect and Need from them. The ones that take the time to follow a process of discovery and agreement (what I call Company Contribution Statements), are the ones that get great performance from their people.

6. Negative Expectations become self fulfilling - If you have people in your team who have negative Expectations about you and your company, you will have problems until you specifically address those. They become self fulfilling prophecies, and you don't need them. In fact, they will drag you and your team down.

7. You need to be a People Manager - too many good, technically competent people end up in a role where most of their time should be in managing people. If you have a team under you, you should be spending about 80% of your time managing those people to peak performance. It's what they Expect of you, and it's what your company Needs from you

If you want to know more, download the 7 truths about trust every people manager needs to know ebook, or eguide here.

Take care.

Vanessa