7 Behaviors That Instantly Make You More Trustworthy At Work, According To Experts
Trust is currency in the workplace.
Kaboompics.com | Pexels In a time when CEOs laugh their way through layoffs, while robotics and AI loom large on the horizon as the future employee, it might be ironic or Orwellian when bosses wonder if a worker is trustworthy.
But a trustworthy coworker is an asset to more than a profit margin. When you find a person at work you can trust, even if the trust is based solely on work interactions, a better human bond forms. As a deflating job market grows further dependent on automation in a tumultuous world, finding a trusted work friend is a benefit to your current well-being and could impact your future stability.
Here are seven behaviors that instantly make you more trustworthy at work, according to experts:
1. Respecting other people’s time
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To set yourself apart as a valued employee, life coach Susan Allan suggests being on time every day. Whether you need
faster transportation, new hair styling tools, or to select your wardrobe the night before, being on time means you arrive dressed to impress.
- Be on time
- Be prepared
- Be well-dressed and groomed.
- Have your work completed
- Communicate without gossiping or giggling
Respecting other people’s time is also the fastest way to generate respect for yourself. Job recruiting site Labor Solutions stated, “Being on time doesn’t just benefit you; it shows respect for everyone else involved. Being present and on time also helps you stay informed, build stronger relationships, and show commitment to teamwork.”
Corporate culture is always profit-driven, so consider your CEO’s needs for results, and you’ll see the difference a few minutes make to your reputation. Simply said, be buttoned up and boring, and think of yourself as an old-fashioned librarian, and as people trust and respect you, they will also promote and reward you.
People will begin to trust you based on your adherence to their schedule, and leading corporate trainers agreed that, “punctuality also serves as the first step toward building trust, which can lead to promotions and other career advancements.”
2. Responding promptly to questions
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Even if the response to someone's query is only "I don't know" or "I'll check," quick responses are a sure-fire way to earn trust, asserts general manager Thomas Miller. Despite our rational brains knowing otherwise, being ignored means death, either experientially by a caregiver or primordially by society.
- “Are they mad at me?”
- “Am I annoying them?” “
- Am I annoying them if I ask again?”
Even in an overloaded work tempo, assuring a teammate that you heard them, even if you can’t help them with their specific task, is valuable in establishing that you are on the same team.
In the case you are not able to help, normalizing not knowing without being defensive goes a long way towards assuring a coworker's future answers and responses are being delivered in good faith. Just let me know I’ve been heard, and we can go from there.
3. Keeping things neat and tidy
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Senior editor Aria Gmitter points out that having the ability to keep things neat at work is a behavior that makes someone instantly more trustworthy. Neatness extends beyond organization. It's a vibe to set the tone for their desk, the clothing they wear. The tidiness is also reflected in how they speak more slowly and deliberately in their communication.
Every single thought and deed communicates a purpose. All things have a place, and there's a reason. You can walk into this person's office and feel a sense of peace, calmness, and control. It starts with a clutter-free desk that says, "I have time. Sit down. Let's talk." They are the colleagues who clean the coffee machine or wipe down the counter, even if they weren't the ones who used it.
They know where things are and sometimes bring supplies to work so others can have access. Their heart makes other people feel safe and secure. You can tell the neatness isn't about control. It's about being happy, and a happy person is a trustworthy person. They are solid within themselves and looking to help others.
A neat person is meticulous. They are the workplace glue. They are the backbone of an organization, no matter how small their role. They provide a sense of stability. Other people can count on them if there's a question, and you can borrow their memory as the meeting historian.
4. Making good on commitments
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Psychologist Sharon Saline thinks that showing up for commitments in a timely fashion is critical for building trust at work. When people are late (and I struggle with this myself, to be honest), there's a message of unimportance that is conveyed even if it's not intended.
What I mean by this is that whoever is waiting ultimately feels like they don't matter enough to be met. No matter how many explanations somebody gives, it just doesn't lessen this feeling. Giving a warning that you are going to be late helps, as long as you are accurate about the time of the delay.
5. Delivering on promises
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One behavior that makes you instantly more trustworthy at work is consistently meeting promised contributions to collaborations in a timely way, advises career and life management consultant Ruth Schimel.
- Sustain straightforward communication
- Be consistent in important actions and communication
- Deliver on promises or alert others of your inability to do so in a timely way.
6. Admitting when you messed up
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Deputy editor Andrea Zimmerman knows we're all human, so mistakes are bound to happen in the workplace. "If an employee tells me about the mistake they made before I discover it on my own, it shows both accountability and trust on their part."
"They're not trying to hide or cover anything up; they're owning the error, and hopefully learning from the experience to avoid doing it again. As a manager, mistakes don't bother me, but not owning up to them does," she continues.
7. Knowing when to give feedback privately verses publicly
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Among the most important trust-building leadership skills is knowing when a conversation should be private versus in a group, recommends author and media critic Joanna Schoeder. When a colleague knows they should pull me aside for a conversation, I almost instantly trust they have my best interests and our collaborative work at the top of their priority list. Pulling me aside shows they are making thoughtful, rational decisions.
In times of instability, building a trusted community is vital. A trusted coworker becomes a friend who is still a part of your community after the job ends. In the ideal, those work friends remain long after you have both departed the employer where you met.
Maybe you work together again in another place, maybe you start a business together, maybe you cross paths after a natural disaster and share a moment while helping others. Find the people you can trust, and keep in touch. The future is a coin toss at best.
Will Curtis is YourTango's expert editor. Will has over 14 years of experience as an editor covering relationships, spirituality, and human interest topics.
