Hands down, trust between a leader and their team, and amongst team members is the single most important factor in creating and sustaining a high-performing team. Without trust, any other efforts are being built on a rather shaky foundation. By creating psychological safety, you ensure that every team member’s voice is valued, not just those A-types who always contribute so you’re creating space so everyone can be part of it.
You’d think that trust and psychological safety would be at the top of every organization’s agenda. Yet research from MIT Sloan shows that trust is a critical driver of engagement. “Trusting employees are 260% more motivated to work, have 41% lower rates of absenteeism, and are 50% less likely to look for another job. But consider this: We also found that roughly 1 in 4 workers don’t trust their employer. At the same time, most employers overestimate their workforce’s trust level by almost 40%. With this misalignment in trust, it’s no wonder that worker engagement is suffering.”
Trust bolsters collaboration, innovation and corporate culture, all key difference-makers for successful organizations. In 2023, as teams navigate in-office and remote work, keeping trust alive and well, and thriving will be key to engaged, productive teams that can get stuff done.
Here at The Roundtable, as pioneers and leaders in group coaching, we’ve seen firsthand the difference building trust can make. If you’re curious about how The Roundtable can help your organization develop a culture where leaders and their teams can create an atmosphere of psychological safety, let’s start a conversation.
