Combat Workplace Skepticism:
I define workplace skepticism as: "doubt as to whether the agenda, values, and actions of leadership are consistent and effective." It is the post-meeting eye-roll shared between two customers as they head down the elevator. It is the hesitancy to adjust behavior to match new directions given. It is the belief that leadership is not matching their behavior with their words. It is the doubt that the course of action will produce the intended results. Skepticism always decreases engagement and always steals the energy needed for growth, change, and challenge. It slows actions and buy-in to changes made. It decreases productivity and skeptical team members are difficult to motivate.
At the root, skepticism is a trust issue. If you want to lower skepticism in your team -- start building trust. Here is a list of actions to take to work toward building trust with your teams. You may not be able to implement all of them right away. That’s ok! Intentionally implementing even two or three of these list-items will begin to establish and build trust.
1) Transparency - be real about the challenges upcoming and sell the benefits of changing. Understand how the changes will be challenging for your team but express how pulling off the change will bring benefits to them and to the company.
2) Own Your Mistakes - Craig Groeschel says, "People would rather follow a leader who is always real than a leader who is always right." If the decisions you make do not produce the intended or desired results, own the mistake. Nothing is more damaging to trust than passing the blame or denying a mistake made.
3) Close the Integrity Gap - Match your actions with your words. Your actions should reinforce the words you say. Lack of consistent accountability will destroy trust in leadership.
4) Encourage Feedback and Questions - Your people must have an avenue to question and connect the dots themselves. If you have failed to provide clarity being open to questions and concerns can help you close those gaps.
5) Competency - Build team's trust in your decision-making by making the right decisions that lead to the desired results. If this is your first big-change decision, trust is limited, so look at it as your first opportunity to build that trust. Competent decision-making will build momentum for your decision-making ability.
6) Provide Clarity - Connect the dots for the team by explaining what the decision is, why it has been made, and how things will change. Show how each role is involved in achieving the goal and how it benefits the team.
7) Unity from Leadership - the leadership team must behave and speak with one voice so there is no confusion and confidence in the leadership team can be built.
8) Consistency - Building Trust takes time but it also requires consistency from leaders. Consistency allows your team to know what to expect in terms of your behavior and leadership. Consistency in vision gives your team the stability to grow into the expectations of their role.
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