Eight Behaviours That Build Trust

25/10/2023, 14:35 Eight behaviours that build trust - Roffey Park Institute
Eight behaviours that build trust

ROFFEY PARK
Change and Resilience Organisational Learning
19TH OCTOBER 2016
Interpersonal trust is essential for an organisation’s success. Low interpersonal trust

between employees results in high staff turnover, low employee engagement, and
unnecessary monitoring, duplication and bureaucracy. New research by Roffey Park on
trust in work relationships has highlighted eight specific behaviours that tend to foster
interpersonal trust.
Being transparent
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Transparency in interpersonal relationships is about being open and honest in

communication. It is about having open conversations with colleagues and presenting
them with your honest view rather than concealing or spinning information. By being
open and honest we assure people that there is nothing to hide. Lack of transparency
may give the impression that there is a hidden agenda.
Sticking to commitments
Doing what we say we will do

means that others can rely on us and
this is key to building interpersonal
trust. A number of our interviewees
said that the main reason they
trusted their colleagues was
because they completed the tasks
that they had been assigned to and
delivered results.
Demonstrating trust
Trust is generative. By that we mean

that people are more likely to trust
another person when they feel
trusted by that person. When we
extend our trust and let others feel
trusted, it creates reciprocity and
encourages our trustee to trust us in return. BACK
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Being personal
Investing in relationships at a basic human level rather than just transactionally to get
something you need is another behaviour that our interviewees suggested as important
in building trust. This behaviour is about getting involved in more than just work-related
dealings and getting to know someone at a more personal level. This does not mean
ignoring boundaries between what is personal to you and the world of work. It does not
mean disclosure of things that you hold as deeply private. It is about letting people
know what makes you tick and being appropriately open about your views and
concerns.
Being consistent
This is about communicating the same messages to colleagues and not changing what
we have already agreed. Equally important is consistency in behaviour, which allows
those who work with us to anticipate what we might do in different situations.
Appreciating others
Showing respect to people regardless of their status or power is a great way of building
trust. And we can demonstrate respect by showing our appreciation of the effort
others are putting into their work.
Listening well
A number of interviewees said that they are more likely to trust someone who listens to
their point ofuses
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person’s shoes and look at

things from their perspective.
When you listen to your
colleagues, they feel valued
and it also gives both parties a
better understanding of the
situation so you can make
better decisions. Listening is
also another way of showing
respect and making others feel trusted.
Demonstrating vulnerability
Being vulnerable is another behaviour that was deemed important by our interviewees.
This is more than just apologising, it is about taking responsibility for our actions and
trying to make things right if possible when they go wrong. It is about owning up to your
mistakes and imperfections.
What do you think about these behaviours? Do they resonate with your experience?
What other behaviours do you think are important in maintaining and building
interpersonal trust in organisations?
The Wheel of Trust provides an overarching model for the behaviours we have
described above. The questions can be used as a self-diagnostic tool to identify the
behaviours which should be visible in order to raise the level of trust in your
relationships with colleagues.
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Note: We interviewed 17 individuals over a seven-month period. By speaking to people

at three-month intervals we gained a real insight into their lived experience of trust, or
lack of it, as well as how judgements about trust are formed and how trust changes over
time. You can download the report ‘The lived experience of trust: People’s stories of
trust in the workplace’.
Author: Dr Meysam Poorkavoos is a Researcher at Roffey Park
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25/10/2023, 14:35 Eight behaviours that build trust - Roffey Park Institute

Interpersonal trust is essential for an organisation’s success. Low interpersonal trust

Transparency in interpersonal relationships is about being open and honest in

Doing what we say we will do

Trust is generative. By that we mean

person’s shoes and look at

Note: We interviewed 17 individuals over a seven-month period. By speaking to people

Author: Dr Meysam Poorkavoos is a Researcher at Roffey Park

Latest from Roffey Park Institute

Toxic Culture in the Workplace: What Can We Do?

The DNA of Personal Effectiveness

Changing Global Context of the Expert leader

USEFUL LINKS MY ROFFEY PARK

If you are a client or participant click here to access

About Us LOGIN TO THE LRC

Roffey Park Venue Hire

Jobs: Join Our Talented Team

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