Have you ever brought someone onto your team when you knew it was a bad idea? Maybe red flags may have alerted you that something wasn’t quite right, but you ignored them. Rather than listening to the little voice telling you to be careful, you gave that person the benefit of the doubt.
Seeing the best in people is a great characteristic, but it can get you into a lot of trouble if you’re not careful.
Trust can be tricky. Many people make the mistake of giving away trust too quickly. They think that it’s the right thing to do, but trust always needs to be earned.
How is trust earned?
You can learn a lot about a person by examining their track record. When deciding if someone is trustworthy, realize that trust is earned over time. It’s not built on what people say they will do, but what they actually do and don’t do on a regular basis.
For example, if you notice that someone you work with always spreads juicy gossip about other coworkers, don’t hand out your trust too quickly. You might be the next topic of conversation at the water cooler. Besides, they will influence you to notice everyone’s flaws, which only damages relationships.
Another type of person to be aware of is the one who is overly concerned with trying to protect their position in the pecking order at work. In an effort to move up the ladder, they might try to find fault with everyone else on your team. In that case, you can’t trust their opinion of another team member’s performance. Their motive isn’t to better the team; it’s to make themselves look good.
In reality, every member of the team is valuable and needs to work together in synergy. As a leader, it’s your job to encourage this team-mentality, so don’t tolerate it when your team members put each other down. Proceed carefully before trusting everything they say about each other.
As a leader, be aware of who is earning your trust. Don’t just assume that people are trustworthy. Wait until they prove it. Do they talk about things that they were told to keep confidential? Do they gossip about coworkers? What is their reaction when someone on the team does well? Are they threatened by that success? Do they need others to fail to feel good about themselves? Or are they invested in helping the team to achieve all it can?
As you lead, keep your eyes wide open. Don’t judge motives and intentions—it’s impossible to know why people do what they do—but always examine behaviour and take your time when you’re determining who you can trust.
Leon Fontaine is internationally renowned for his ability to equip people with skills for life. He is the CEO of Miracle Channel and senior pastor of Springs, a contemporary church with six campuses across Western Canada. Visit www.leonfontaine.com for more great articles as well as weekly videos and podcasts. Email your comments to [email protected].
