You now know that as leaders, we can very easily end up subcosciously insulting our team. But what do you do when this happens?
The choices you make and the actions you take following the insult can affect the impact you have and the impression you will leave for any future interaction with your team.
In honor of complete and total transparency, I have not always been the charming lad I am today. There have been times when I consciously insulted my team or a member of my team. Incidentally, insulting a single member of the team is suspiciously just like insulting the whole team.
Then, there are those times when I have subconsciously insulted my team. There is that time I got enthusiastic about launching a new creative idea, spread the word, garnered help and attention, then lost all momentum and quit thinking about it, leaving everyone hanging. Or how about the time I said I would help, then failed to actually show up.
It is the wrong way to lead and it only takes a little more intentionality on the part of the leader to make an attempt to ensure this does not happen.
3 Things You Must Do to Avoid Losing Trust
1. Realize it
You have to act quick. Once you have made an insult, whether intentional or not, the team knows about it long before you will realize it. As leaders we should always be analyzing ourselves and asking for feedback. Asking for feedback may sound like a weak thing to do, but the exact opposite is true. The clock is ticking and every moment that passes is a negative tick on the trust radar.
2. Own it
Once you have realized that you made a mistake, own up to it. If you did not realize your mistake through feedback from the team, let them know that you realized you have done wrong and take possession of that mistake. This can and will be a very humbling experience, especially if you are not known for doing so. It will pay huge dividends in the long run, so just do it.
3. Take action towards making amends
Remember that the fluid in the trust tank is leaking, and the longer you wait, the closer you are getting to “E” with your team. You have to take immediate action to remedy the situation and right your wrongs. You have to put an offer on the table and show your team once again that you are on their side. Give them the opportunity to see that you really do care and want to make sure they are treated with respect.
The trust you earn and the respect you give are the biggest guns in your arsenal. Don’t let time take these important tools away from you. The actions you take and the promptness of those actions will determine the cohesiveness you hold with the team from that moment on.
What are you going to do to secure trust with your team?
All these points are great, Leo. Number 3, taking action, is so important to securing trust. Thanks for this!
Thank you Adam.
I thought about this post on the way home tonight and came up with another metaphor that clarifies what I’m trying to say here.
If you think about a cruise ship, you trust that the design and structure of the ship is sufficient enough that when you get on board the vessel it is going to keep you dry.
The leader is the vessel, and the team are those people desiring to travel on the ship.
You are taking your team on a journey to where they want to go. If the vessel loses its structural integrity (trust) and begins to take on water (degradation of trust) the ship will start to go down.
Unless you take swift and immediate action to plug the hole in the hull (make amends), the water will keep coming in. The more water the vessel takes on, the harder it is to float the vessel again, and eventually it is a complete loss (a new leader takes your place).
Nobody wants to work with or pay someone that can’t be trusted.
This is a very important characteristic of a great leader.