The Upside of Trust and Civility in the Workplace

Today I was to be presenting my workshop, The Upside of Trust and Civility in the Workplace at the annual NALP conference for legal career professionals in Montréal. Sigh… I adapted the session and was able to provide the program by webinar. Though not quite the same as an in -person workshop, I was grateful to have the opportunity. Below are a few takeaways from my workshop.

The Upside of Trust and Civility in the Workplace

The research finds that there has been a general fraying of civility for some time in our workplaces. Whether it’s the pressures of globalization, generational differences, challenging relationships, or the increased use of technology, Dr. Christine Porath finds that we are more self-focused than other-focused. This is the state of things at the ‘best’ of times. Enter Covid-19 and a world pandemic – stress and anxiety levels reaching new heights – and our ability to be civil and respectful deteriorates rapidly.

Our brains on stress translates to a decreased ability to collaborate, innovate, communicate effectively, be good at problem solving and physical and mental health are impacted. Now more than ever – as we work remotely in unprecedented circumstances – we need to be mindful of the foundations that support respect, civility and psychological safety in our workplaces. The following are five practices to keep in mind adapted for these extraordinary times;

• Maintain positive relationships – According to Jane Dutton of the University of Michigan, brief positive interactions she refers to as ‘High Quality Connections’ are the lifeblood of an organization. According to Jane’s research, these uplifting connections increase resilience, immune function and our ability to collaborate. People feel heard and valued. Prioritize engaging with others if only for a few minutes each day. Pick up the phone or connect face to face (on-line) if possible.

• Demonstrate that you trust others – Provide more autonomy to people in Everyone has a challenging work/life situation. Trust in each person creating their own work/life rhythm in order to get their work done. As trust increases, our levels of oxytocin, known as our belonging hormone, also increases. People have a genuine sense of ‘being in this together’ and working together toward shared goals.

• Communicate with Empathy and Compassion – With so many difficult conversations on the table, we need to start with empathy. We all have a need to belong and to feel heard. This is the time to check in with one another to ask, how are you doing? What is the best way I can support you right now? Express gratitude and appreciation frequently. This has a calming effect on the nervous system and super charges our connections.

• Support a Growth Mindset – As we build a sense of safety and trust we support the ability to learn from our mistakes, innovate and disrupt. Employees in growth mindset teams are 47% likelier to say that their colleagues are trustworthy. At the end of a week have a team discussion asking, what did we learn and where did we struggle?

• Act Generously – Adam Grant has found that in organizations where we feel supported and valued for behaving generously, we’re more likely to behave as givers and willingly share our time, energy, knowledge, skills, ideas, and connections. People who display generous behaviours build teams where psychological safety is high and teams tend to flourish. The research also finds that giving and supporting others reduces our own stress – and there couldn’t be a better time for that.