‘If you can inspire trust as a leader, you can engage your people on a deeper level, increase confidence and motivation, and build resilience to weather tougher times,’ Victoria Lim, Head of People Communications at TomTom says.
Victoria was just one of the illuminating speakers we welcomed at our third Slido Elevate event, Learn from Leaders: The Secrets to Building Trust in Your Team.
Victoria says that the role of the leader has evolved with the emergence of hybrid work.
‘Before the pandemic, leaders were seen as an almost untouchable person on a stage leading their company top-down,’ she says, ‘But now, employees expect a leader to stand beside them, to be more accessible and approachable, and to foster a culture of collaboration.’
She adds that leaders who are open to showing their human side will reap the benefits. Instead of being distant anonymous figures, leaders should be brave enough to make themselves accessible, open, and prepared to show vulnerability if they hope to foster trust.
Higher trust = happier and more productive teams
Leaders are striving to build trust within their organizations, with a study showing that high-trust companies are 50% more productive and 76% more engaged.
Our panel debated how in today’s hybrid world trust is even trickier to build and maintain at work – yet even more crucial to attain than ever.
They shared tangible tips on how you as a leader can increase trust within your organization, encouraging employees to both perform and thrive.
The event took place virtually on November 28.
Our expert panel of leaders also included Thomas Reyto, Director EMEA Consulting at Slack, Liz Selman, Global Instructional Design Lead at The School of Life and Slido’s Neil Sharman, Head of User Research. After their discussion, there was an interactive Q&A session.
On the day, we unveiled brand new research from Slido on the link between trust and increased company performance.
And after our panel talk and Q&A, there was a virtual masterclass on how tools like Slido can help you to build that all-important trust within your hybrid organization.
Trust as the bedrock for psychological safety
School of Life’s Liz Selman tells Slido, ‘It’s only when we trust our environment and those around us that we feel safe to express ourselves, take risks, and be vulnerable,’ she says.
‘This is the foundation of wellbeing at work and is what we mean by psychological safety. When we create spaces at work that we feel safe in, we do our best work.’
Liz adds that it’s often in smaller increments throughout the working day that trust grows. ‘We often think of building trust in the ‘big moments’ – the project launches, the all-hands meetings, the transformative challenges.
‘And of course, they have an impact – but in reality, it’s the millions of small, less discernible touchpoints and interactions that encourage authentic trust to flourish.’
Our latest research on trust
Slido’s Neil Sharman revealed Slido’s latest research, an in-depth study of 18 senior leaders and their approach to building trust in the workplace.
Neil says, ‘As the Head of User Research at Slido, presenting this keynote was a brilliant chance to show some of our great research. Trust is such an important topic for organizations today, especially in a time of hybrid work when people work out of sight.
‘Trust is both precious and delicate, and it can be easily lost. What happens if you lose it? The opposite of a high-trust culture is one of fear and cynicism, within which productivity falters.’
Want to learn how to build trust within your team?
Would you like to watch the video and catch up with our panel discussion from the day? Then click here to head to our Slido Community page.
