Increasing Trust, decreasing fear

“It's no longer enough for employees to simply "embrace" change: continuous improvement must become a way of doing business, where people actively seek improvements and where systems and processes support and drive initiative. Trust is the key. The work environment must be such that people work without fear, within a culture that encourages pride in both personal and organisational accomplishments”. - Erwin Johnson

Trust, a word used frequently amongst people, but so difficult to obtain and maintain, especially due to the demands of the modern world. Dr. D. Tway believes that trust is made up of three interacting components. The capacity for trusting, which refers to your total life experiences and existence, that encourages your capacity and willingness to risk trusting others. The perception of competence refers to your perception, of your ability and others ability with whom you work, to perform competently and produce effective results. The perception of intentions refers to your perception that the actions, motivation, words, direction and decisions are communicated and motivated by mutually-serving rather than self-serving motives. Trust forms the foundation for effective communication, employee motivation and the overall effort that people will plow into their work. When trust is evident within an organisation or relationship, people are inclined to invest more of themselves to achieve greater results.

The critical question thus remains, “does trust exist in your organisation and how important is it?” In many instances, the extent of trust in an organisation is determined by the trust promoted by managers. Management needs employees to feel that they are valued, trusted and have them believe that the company is acting with integrity in their best interest. When this exists within an organisation, it encourages trust not only amongst managers and employees, but amongst team members on different levels as well. It reduces fear and encourages employees to take initiative and be honest and open when communicating. Research has shown that in an environment where employees feel that a friendship has been established with colleagues, it enhances the voluntary input of employees, resulting in increasing productivity.

There are many factors that contribute to the lack and loss of trust within a team, but the past economic crisis has been one of the major contributors. Retrenchments and layoffs can cause a lot of mistrust in any team. When individuals feel threatened, this will often lead to them producing just enough to keep their jobs and they will tend not to share their knowledge or take initiative in fear of risking their employment. With the above in mind, it is important to ask, “How effective are organisations really and how can managers reduce fear and increase trust, especially during these hard economic times?”

It has been found that the most successful organisations use the following five practical ways to foster trust within their working environment:

1.Establish and maintain integrity. It is the foundation of trust in any organisation. Integrity must begin at the top and then move down. This means, among other things, keeping promises and always telling the truth, no matter how difficult it might be. If its leaders and people have integrity, an organisation can be believed and trusted.

2.Communicate vision and values. Communication is important, since it provides the artery for information and truth. By communicating the organisation's vision, management defines where it's going. By communicating its values, the methods for getting there are established.

3.Consider all employees as equal partners. Trust is established when even the newest rookie, a part-timer, or the lowest paid employee feels important and part of the team. This begins with management not being aloof, as well as getting out and meeting the troops. This should be followed by leaders seeking opinions and ideas (and giving credit for them), knowing the names of employees and their families and treating one and all with genuine respect.

4.Focus on shared, rather than personal goals. When employees feel everyone is pulling together to accomplish a shared vision, rather than a series of personal agendas, trust results. This is the essence of teamwork. When a team really works, the players trust one another.

5.Do what's right, regardless of personal risk. We all know intuitively what's "right" in nearly every situation. Following this instinctive sense, and ignoring any personal consequences will nearly always create respect from those around us. From this respect trust will come.

Energised or at the edge of burnout and exhaustion?

Due to the demands of the modern business world, greater emphasis is being placed on our ability to mobilise the energies of the body, heart, mind and spirit as a practical tool to maximise our inherent potential and reach greater heights. This requires new insights and skills that up-end conventional thinking about how to increase energy and attentiveness in the face of ever-rising pressure and global competitiveness within organisations. Without energy, performance is merely a latent possibility. According to Peter Drucker, personal energy is a crucial enabler for effectiveness in any role and for all employees. We therefore require the ability to raise our own energy levels as well as an ability to raise and orchestrate the energies of others in order to make an impact within our teams and organisations.

Energy as “spirit at work” and spirituality within the workplace are often used interchangeably in the literature around this topic. The term “spirit” as energy force at work, relates to the extent to which employees are driving towards results. During peak performance, there is no waste of motion, emotion or energy. There is only knowledge, focus and the individual experience of being “in flow” which then implies a higher level of awareness and job satisfaction. Given the demands of the work environment, we need to know how to draw on extra energies – not just exceptional physical stamina, but untapped reserves of imagination, passion, determination, farsightedness, problem solving and more.

We must become creative change agents by cultivating the energies within and around us to make a positive difference in our world whether in our personal lives or in our careers. This implies having a choice and choosing what is best for us.

Practical ideas to raise your own personal energy:

1. Connected Breathing
One of the simplest ways to improve your energy levels is by breathing properly. Our breathing is often too shallow due to too much stress and not feeling in control. To breathe deeply, you need to breathe into your abdomen, so that your stomach moves forward. Do this regularly for 10 minutes at a time by simply taking at least 10 conscious and very deep breaths. According to Anthony Robbins, you should deeply inhale for 7 seconds, hold your breath for 21 seconds and exhale slowly for 14 seconds. This can significantly raise your energy-level.

2. Eating habits
Food is fuel to our bodies and healthy eating habits will raise your energy. Eat well balanced meals at regular intervals (do not skip a meal). Remember: your body often has to use more energy to burn off fats and sugar and therefore unfortunately depletes its own valuable energy resources. Use your common sense in planning your meals and see what it does to your energy levels.

3. Aerobic Exercise
Aerobic means "with oxygen" and refers to exercising with higher oxygen consumption by the body. This could be walking, running, cycling or swimming. Experiment with this and see what you like to do and what is easy to maintain. Exercise at least 3 times a week as this will boost your energy level and your body fitness.

4. Sleeping
Getting sound sleep is an important enabler for energy throughout the day. You should sleep between 5 and 8 hours per night (this varies from person to person). You should monitor your sleeping habits and ensure that you go to bed and get up at the same time every day. This will ensure that you develop a good sleep-rhythm which will help to restore your energy levels.

5. Mental Energy: Thoughts and Emotions
Thoughts are energy-consuming. You need to become a master of your own thoughts and not invest in negative thinking or emotions. Become aware of your thinking and direct your mental focus to something empowering. Set goals for yourself and have a personal vision.

Things to remember in raising your team’s energy:
(adapted from: The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon)

1. Get your focus right
Do not allow people to complain unless they also offer solutions. It will most certainly make a difference in your office atmosphere, and it will lead to new ideas, innovations and success.

2. Practice positive leadership.
Remain purposeful in the face of adversity. Celebrate small victories and remember that it is people who drive numbers.

3. Keep those channels open
Uncertainty leads to stress which in turn depletes energy. Remember that people tend to act according to what they assume. It is therefore important to ensure that your communication remains clear and positive so as not to cause confusion.