Building Trust by Seeking Direct Report Input

Direct report: "Do you have time to review the media release I’m working on?” Me: "Of course! I’d be happy to look at what you’ve got so far. But first, what do you think about it? How do you feel it aligns with our goals?" Direct report: "Well, I think it captures the client’s key messages, but I’m worried it might be a bit too focused on the technical details instead of the bigger picture." Me: "That’s a great observation. What would help balance the technical aspects with the bigger picture?" Direct report: "Maybe incorporating more storytelling elements could make it more relatable?" Me: "Exactly. You’ve got a solid grasp of what’s needed here. How would you go about integrating those storytelling elements?" Direct report: "Perhaps I can include a quote that speaks to the problem we’re solving, then move to the technical details to show how our solution makes a difference?" Me: "That sounds like a strong strategy. I like how you are thinking about the end result and the impact on the client. Trust your gut. You got this and I’m here to guide you if needed." ✨ Instead of giving them all the answers, empower your team to build confidence and expertise by guiding them with questions that lead to informed decisions and success. ✨

If your team doesn't trust you, nothing else matters. Developing a relationship with your direct reports built on trust is one of the most important things you can do as a manager. Here are 3 questions that I think about all the time to see if I have done a good job at building that relationship. 1️⃣ Do my reports regularly bring their biggest challenges to me? 2️⃣ Do we BOTH give constructive feedback without hesitation? 3️⃣ Would they work for me again? If the answer is yes, it means they trust me enough to be honest because they know I actually care. If the answer is no (or you’re not sure), here’s how to fix it: 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 If your team hides problems from you, that’s a YOU problem. – Do you punish mistakes? – Do you only focus on results, not learning? – Do you react emotionally when things go wrong? What to do instead: – Admit when you don’t know something. Model vulnerability – Praise problem-solving, not just success – Create a psychologically safe space where asking for help isn’t seen as failure. 𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐛𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 Trust isn’t built on compliments. It’s built on honest & transparent conversations. If your team isn’t giving you feedback, it’s because they don’t feel safe doing so. If they don’t tell you where they need help, they don’t trust you to help. What to do instead: – Ask: “What’s one thing I could do better as your manager?” – Reward honesty, not agreement. – Make feedback normal, not a once-a-year performance review thing. 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚 𝐣𝐨𝐛 The real test of leadership: Would your people work for you again? If they wouldn’t, ask yourself: – Am I investing in their career growth, or just company growth? – Am I helping them get better, not just get work done? – Do I celebrate their wins (even when it means they outgrow their role)? What to do instead: – Have career check-ins that aren’t about current projects. – Actively help them grow, even if it means they leave. – Advocate for their promotions before they ask. 𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐦 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐞 Trust isn’t built in grand gestures. It’s built in daily moments. It's the small ways you show up.

Try these three strategies to nurture a culture of trust: #1. Establish clear processes The first step to a culture of trust is to set clear expectations. Clear expectations and consistent execution give you confidence that your team will stay on process. But also remember that mistakes happen. When someone makes a mistake, talk about it openly, and never demean them or make them feel like they’re being attacked. When you have trust, you communicate with respect. I remember a close game when our defense had just stopped the opposing team on a third down. They punted the ball inside our 10-yard line. One of the fundamental rules in that situation is that you play it safe: Take a fair catch, or let it go for a touchback. But instead of playing it safe, our return man caught the ball and took off running. In fact, he ran all the way down the field for a touchdown! The stadium erupted, but when he returned to the sidelines, our head coach, Bud Grant, said, “If you ever do that again, you’ll never play for the Minnesota Vikings again.” Our return man caught a lucky break, but it was the wrong process. Our team was built on the trust that everyone would do the right thing every play. Getting lucky once doesn’t mean team members can ignore the process and run their own plays. #2. Gather team feedback Trying to do everything yourself limits you as a leader. Your guidance is crucial, but you don’t know everything. Trust your team to inform you about how to improve or adapt. Throughout games, I would ask my teammates: “What are you seeing? What’s your man doing? What are you able to do against him? What routes can you run?” If our offensive tackle, Ron Yary, said, “I can beat my guy on the inside,” I trusted him because he went up against this guy every play. We communicated before each play and came up with a plan we all knew we could execute. Gather input and implement your team’s suggestions. When team members trust one another and work together, the whole truly is greater than the sum of its parts. #3. Don’t try to be the hero Your company has a better chance of success if your teammates trust you, but that can only happen if you trust them. It all starts with accepting that you don’t always have to be the hero. Don’t try to do things yourself when your team already has a solution in place. Instead of making it about you, empower your team members by trusting them. Peyton Manning, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James are all incredible individuals. But they understand that teams win while individuals lose. Business is the same way. As the leader, it doesn’t matter if you’re a star; you need a strong team that you trust behind you. That’s the true quarterback mentality. You might deliver the most beautiful spiral imaginable, but if you can’t trust your teammate to catch and run with it, you’ll end right back where you started.

Sometimes your team doesn't tell you the truth. Sometimes they hide stuff from you. Why do they do that? The answer might surprise you. They don't do it out of spite or malicious reasons. They do it because they're afraid of your reaction. They're scared of being negatively judged by you. (This is a bigger problem than it sounds) If your team stops sharing and starts hiding their true thinking, performance will take a hit sooner than later. How do you reverse this trend? One way to get your team to share is by *rewarding* your team for sharing.   Example 1:  If a direct report admits a mistake. Acknowledge their honesty by saying: "Thank you for bringing this up. I'm sure this wasn't easy. I appreciate you sharing..."     Example 2:  If everyone agrees with a strategy, but one person objects. Try this:   "Thank you for sharing. Glad you did. Help me understand your perspective more"     Example 3:  If your direct report shares their constructive feedback with you. Acknowledge their courage:   "I appreciate your candor. Thank you for sharing this feedback with me." What happens when you reward people for sharing? Your team will feel confident to share their ideas (without being afraid). You'll also create a team that's rich in "psychological safety". Teams that are rich in safety produce high caliber work, and are more innovative than teams without safety.   And if you're still not convinced, remember this, you hired your team for their thinking, not to blindly follow yours.