A base of trust at your business creates a positive workplace environment for employees. As the employer, you need to demonstrate trust in your employees:
Encourage reasonable risk. Let your employees know that you won't penalize them for taking calculated chances, even if the gamble fails.
Foster autonomy. Make recommendations instead of issuing commands, and ask for employees' input.
Analyze mistakes. Simply pointing out a mistake is not very helpful. Instead, sit down with the employee and discuss together how the mistake occurred. Brainstorm with the employee how he or she can avoid a similar error in the future.
Ask employees to create solutions. Let employees solve problems on their own, when appropriate, and offer guidance only when asked.
Praise winning ways. When employees meet or exceed expectations, public recognition and praise are in order. Praising builds goodwill and sends the message that your workers are doing something right.
Some ways to demonstrate trust include:
Involving several employees whenever you interview a potential hire. Doing so shows that you trust and value their input.
Use words like "we" and "us" when discussing activities and events at your business. Listen closely to determine if your employees do the same.
Consider abolishing sick days and offering combined sick leave and vacation time. Then, let your workers determine when and how to use their time off.
