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OPINION
Building trust with your team
O ver the years, I’ve observed many managers and superintendents as they lead, manage, and run their projects and jobsites. I’ve noticed that the individuals who can build trust with their teams and trade partners seem to have projects that make more money, finish on time, and have less rework. It’s critical to take the time to develop your trust-building skills. You, your teams, and the projects you are all working on together will only benefit.
Keyan Zandy
This type of trust is more than just hard work and meeting commitments; it requires a certain level of emotional intelligence. So, how can you build these kinds of trust and benefit from this leadership style? 1. Be honest – every time. Being honest could be considered the foundation of trust. There are many reasons why people are not honest with themselves or others. From trying to make yourself look better or avoiding embarrassment, transparent about scheduled milestones, are honest when they don’t know the answer to a question, and do not keep others in the dark on crucial issues set the tone for building trust. Honest leaders: Keep their word and commitment. these traits, unfortunately, do exist in the workplace. Leaders who are truthful and
By studying the formula that makes these individuals successful, I’ve realized that there are two basic types of trust that they excel at building: ■ Applied trust. This is built and earned through hard work. Individuals who show up on time, put in real effort, and do what they say earn credibility with the people in the office and the field, and this trust allows the team members to rely on their competence and dependability. They know and trust that the leader can get the job done. Applied trust is a must, and leaders who don’t have it experience duplication of work, missed deadlines, and poor productivity. ■ Emotional trust. This is a notch above applied trust. Emotional trust is when you know someone has your back, feel your work is respected, and that you are respected as a person. Emotional trust allows for honest thoughts to be shared with vulnerability around feelings and ideas, and there’s healthy conflict when things get tough.
See KEYAN ZANDY , page 4
THE ZWEIG LETTER MARCH 13, 2023, ISSUE 1480
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