Trust is defined as a “firm reliance in the honesty, dependability, strength or character of someone.”
It is a relationship between two parties: one, the trustor, whose role in the relationship is to be willing to take risks; the other, the trustee, whose role in the relationship is to be trustworthy.
For a trusting relationship to be lasting, it must be reciprocal, and there must be a frequent exchange of roles. When one party seeks to be trusted, without giving trust in return, there is an inevitable breakdown in the relationship. As a result, it is crucial for leaders to learn not only how to become trustworthy, but also, how to give their trust to others.
Building trust is one of the keys to successful leadership as it is a foundation of the bond between leaders and their followers and has links to increased productivity, and engagement in the workplace. When leaders are trustworthy, they create an environment that is supportive of cooperation, information sharing, and openness.
Leaders can build trust with their direct reports by demonstrating their abilities, being honest, compassionate, and fair. Trust has a positive impact on employee retention; employees who have trust in their leadership generally put forth a greater effort at work, have higher intentions to remain with the organization, and are more likely to endorse their organization as a good place to work.
These courses are ones recommended by B.C. Corrections to fulfill the competencies for the topic of Building Trust.
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