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Creating a Culture of Trust

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When you are rebuilding a team culture which has been damaged, trust is essential.

For an excellent team culture, your employees must trust you implicitly – trust that you are holding people responsible as you should, that you are treating everyone fairly and that you are transparent in everything you do.

When trust is lost within an organisation, this is the fastest way to a toxic team culture and the problems that come with it. To build trust, you must lead by example. Demonstrate that you trust your team by allowing them to work independently and autonomously.

Don't place 'blame' on individual team members as this will ultimately create an environment where team members are scared to make a wrong move; this leads to a loss in productivity. Approach challenges together as a team; ask employees for their input on company issues even if it is outside of their usual remit. This will ensure employees feel included, valued and trusted.

Be honest and transparent, and always keep your promises. And going back to your mission statement, you should include a focus in trust as part of your values, as all successful companies are built on trust.

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