Yes, trust is a crucial element in any relationship, whether it be personal or professional. Trust helps to build strong bonds, foster collaboration and cooperation, and promote open and honest communication.
When people trust each other, they are more likely to be willing to share their thoughts and ideas, work together towards common goals, and be more open to feedback and constructive criticism.
In a professional context, trust is especially important in the workplace. It helps to create a positive and productive work environment, where employees feel supported and valued.
This can lead to increased job satisfaction and a reduction in turnover, as well as improved teamwork, problem-solving, and overall performance.
Therefore, building and maintaining trust is essential for the success of any relationship or organization. It requires a combination of honesty, transparency, and consistency, as well as a willingness to listen, understand, and respond to others' needs and concerns.
Countless employers still don’t trust their people to do their best work unless they’re physically in the office. But while managers may be struggling to adjust to our new hybrid world, this perception is a long way from the truth.
Research from around the world reveals that greater flexibility from remote and hybrid working often results in a major boost to productivity. Yet still, some firms are bringing back an office-only policy.
Employers may be grappling with the fallout of the last few years and hoping that a return to the office will result in a post-pandemic productivity boost.
But seeing as hybrid workers show improved morale, greater creativity, and better collaboration (compared with pre-pandemic levels), this could be a big step in the wrong direction.
Big Brother will never be popular
Some businesses have increased their employee monitoring to try and track performance. But this is often perceived as a Big Brother tactic that ends up having the opposite effect – a drop in productivity, a lack of trust, demoralized teams, and a greater feeling of ‘us and them’.
All businesses need to understand how they are performing and decide which metrics give the best insight into productivity. But this has to be done in a way that doesn’t leave employees feeling like cogs in a machine.
So what’s the answer?
There is some clear advice for building a productive and successful hybrid environment:
- Encourage people to work in the way that’s best for them
- Find the right ways to measure performance – without people feeling like they’re constantly being watched
- Automate repetitive tasks to free up your team’s creativity
- And provide everyone with the tools and tech they need to do their job properly. That could include choosing the right devices, using communication tools that aid collaboration, and making the right connectivity choices.
We can help with all of this.
So if you’re having trouble adjusting to a hybrid world, get in touch – we’re here to help.
