“The raison d’être of an organization is to enable ordinary people to do extraordinary things.” Peter Drucker (The Future of Management – 1999)
Trust is an essential factor in sustainable corporate growth. It must be cultivated within organizations themselves, and by managers wishing to attract and retain talent and partners. However, it’s not always easy to create a climate of trust within a team. Hence the importance of being strategic, and knowing how to mobilize the right skills at the right time. Here’s how.
What is trust-based management?
Management by trust takes the form of an innovative operational management policy. It aims to create solid, shared bonds of trust between managers and employees. It promotes mental well-being, and considerably improves organizational performance.
This managerial policy is the exact opposite of the >authoritarian, constraint-based management. Management by trust, on the other hand, encourages personal development, collaboration and collective decision-making.
A definition of management
The classic definition of management is that originally given by Henri Fayol in 1916. He describes management as “all the activities of forecasting, organizing, directing, coordinating and controlling implemented to achieve the company’s objectives”.
Management by trust can therefore be seen as a specific discipline. In this case, managerial activities are no longer based solely on centralized decision-making power, but on the joint action of individuals who are able to organize and coordinate themselves, and who know how to develop relationships based on trust.
The origins of trust-based management
The concept of trust-based management is closely linked to the Human Relations intellectual movement. Initiated by Australian psychologist and sociologist Elton Mayo in the 1930s, this school of human relations studied organizations in the context of the economic crisis of 1929.
At this time, Elton Mayo’s studies on productivity at work demonstrated the positive effects of valuing groups, which then became more productive. Thanks to the famous Hawthorne experiment, it was established that productivity was not just a question of material working conditions, but also of a favorable psychological climate.
The notion of the psychological contract
The 1960s saw the advent of the psychological contract. The American social scientist Chris Argyris gave concrete form to the idea that employees are driven by factors other than those stipulated in their employment contract.
In 1989, Denise Rousseau, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University (California), popularized the idea of the psychological contract, presented according to three characteristics: reciprocity, acceptance of commitment and belief in the organization’s promises.
The organization in the face of uncertainty and the unexpected
Today, employees’ expectations of managerial functions have changed. Managers can no longer simply “distribute tasks, allocate budgets and coordinate staff work”. For Seydou Gueye, a doctoral student in Management Sciences, it is above all a question of “adapting the organization to uncertainty and the unexpected”.
This profound change in relationships is due in particular to the recent health crisis. An Ifop survey for ESCE, carried out in November 2021, shows that employees are keen to establish a contract of trust with their manager.
The pillars of leadership through trust
Today, there is no single formula for building trust as a manager. To empower a team and achieve significant results, you need to take into account the corporate culture, the nature of the business and the aspirations of the various players.
However, there are many keys and fundamental principles to effective trust-based leadership within the organization:
1. Building mutual trust
Mutual trust is the fruit of a successful trust-based management strategy. We are talking here about the development of a horizontal and “democratic” management culture – where decision-making is shared equitably or collaboratively between members of the organization.
Mutual trust is synonymous with autonomy and the ability to delegate projects. The focus is on results, rather than on how to achieve them. In this way, the manager favors regular milestones, rather than constant, all-encompassing monitoring.
2. Transparency and open communication
Management by trust is synonymous, for the manager, with open, transparent and therefore effective communication. Managers and employees are invited to share their concerns and ideas, in a spirit of appreciation and involvement.
Good communication means showing an interest in each employee, listening to their needs and ensuring well-being at work.
3. Emphasize benevolence, empathy and authenticity
Benevolence in the world of work is a mindset that encourages understanding and indulgence of others. Thus, a benevolent managerial posture favors positive feedback, recognition of what has been accomplished, and a policy of assertiveness rather than aggressiveness.
Authenticity, on the other hand, implies the sincere expression of opinions and feelings – when transparency is simply the product of a good flow of information. For the manager, this means expressing things openly, and being consistent with what is said and done.
Confidence at work: how to become a manager coach?
You have to learn how to be a good manager at the service of the team! That’s why it’s essential to work on your skills, as well as on your managerial posture. Only in this way can you create the conditions for trust, and develop the conditions for both individual and collective success.
The figure of the manager coach
“A manager-coach thinks in terms of developing the potential of his employees.”
The manager-coach is expected to meet the expectations of his or her staff by providing support and striving for performance. This managerial posture focuses primarily on the potential and capabilities of employees, before emphasizing the mastery of additional tools or skills.
The manager-coach goes beyond the role of leader:
- He empowers his employees.
- It optimizes performance.
- It creates a respectful, motivating work environment that encourages everyone to get involved.
According to the international Coach Federation study conducted in 2021, 20% of large companies have used coaching to develop skills or reveal potential. Result: 72% of companies have observed an improvement in their teams’ skills. This trend is also of interest to SMEs.
Skills needed to become a manager-coach
More than ever, the business world is undergoing rapid change, which is likely to greatly disrupt its organization. Faced with this, companies are realizing that managers are not omniscient, and that the classic managerial figure is no longer viable. The coaching model provides a satisfactory response.
To become a manager coach, and develop trust within your organization, you need to master three essential skills.
1. Create a constructive relationship with your employees
To create a constructive relationship with your employees, it’s important to show sincerity and empathy. Don’t hesitate to develop a leadership style adapted to your employees’ personality, learning pace and skill level.
2. Communicate effectively
Effective communication starts withactive listening to your teams. This communication technique is attentive and non-directive, helping to establish a climate of trust. By focusing on active listening, you concentrate not only on the words, but also on the unspoken.
3. Facilitating learning and success
You create a climate conducive to learning and success when you give your employees regular feedback. This feedback can be positive or negative, but above all it is intended to encourage, motivate and identify areas for improvement.
Be strategic, too, with an action plan and regular follow-up, so you can take stock from one period to the next.
Management, trust and coaching: what training is needed and how?
Close management can’t be improvised! Not only does it require regular practice, it also implies a period of training beforehand. A specialized management consultancy can help you achieve your objectives.
A number of tools and behavioral models can help you transform your habits and practices into agile management.
The Five Behaviors method
As a manager, do you want to build trust and transform your organization’s culture? You’ll need to unleash your company’s untapped potential with Five Behaviors® solutions. These solutions are based on the 5 Behaviors model: trust, conflict, commitment, accountability and results.
Trust is truly the first pillar of the Five Essential Behaviors. Without mutual trust, no team can hope to reach its full potential. According to the model developed by American consultant Patrick Lencioni (2005), lack of trust is an obvious barrier to communication and leads to confrontation – in the productive sense of the word.
Internal or external manager coaching
In-house manager coaching can be a solution. As an employee of his company, the in-house coach negotiates a certain amount of leeway with his employer, which is essential to the exercise of his profession.
Managers who choose to integrate an in-house coach into their projects are sending out a strong signal: this represents a genuine political will on the part of the company and its executives. However, this status is likely to call into question principles of fairness and neutrality.
External coaching has similar characteristics, except that the external coach is not an employee of the company. He/she intervenes at the manager’s request, within the framework of a written service agreement. What’s more, the external coach has more specialized expertise in the field of coaching, while perfectly embodying the required posture of neutrality.
Conclusion
When it comes to management, trust is a key concept with immense power. Correctly applied, it can not only transform the way work is organized, but also motivate teams and create commitment. Trust is a source of motivation, well-being and innovation.
Want to find out more? Take advantage of the DiSC and Five Behaviors methods to help you communicate more effectively and work better together! With its long-standing experience in the fields of management and human resources coaching, Learning Partners is the ideal partner to help you improve your skills and gain the trust of your employees.
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