Recently a friend told me about an incident at her work. She was upset because when her manager had talked about the incident with her, he had also discussed one of her colleagues, under the guise of "sorting it out". Even though there are no serious implications, she felt uncomfortable and doesn't feel she can trust her manager. As she said to me "If he talked about (colleagues name) with me in that way, how do I know what he says about me?"
Very valid point - and one of the quickest ways to erode team trust. Rather than operating in a safe and secure environment employees engage their "on alert" button, which manifests in the following behaviours:
Unease when colleagues visit the boss's office and shut the door. (What are they talking about - Is it me? What have I done wrong?)
As a Manager, demonstrate neutrality, fairness and discretion when dealing with inter-team issues. Taking this approach every single time sends a strong message to the team that you won't be "caught in" and, that they can all expect a fair and impartial relationship.
Very valid point - and one of the quickest ways to erode team trust. Rather than operating in a safe and secure environment employees engage their "on alert" button, which manifests in the following behaviours:
Unease when colleagues visit the boss's office and shut the door. (What are they talking about - Is it me? What have I done wrong?)
- Guardedness around colleagues who were previously "safe"
- Defensive and accusatory behaviour
- "buttering up" behaviour towards boss
- Lack of enthusiasm for work
- Joining the "gossip" group, or, conversely isolating oneself
As a Manager, demonstrate neutrality, fairness and discretion when dealing with inter-team issues. Taking this approach every single time sends a strong message to the team that you won't be "caught in" and, that they can all expect a fair and impartial relationship.
RSS Feed
