How can we increase trust in our organizations?
Companies are scrambling to find ways to retain talent. First it was “the great resignation”, then it was “quiet quitting”. Whatever you call it, we are at a crossroads in the working world – either we figure out how to keep our employees engaged and on the payroll, or we’re soon to be left in the dust by our competitors. What’s a leader to do?
According to Paul J. Zak in HBR, the answer is quite simple: it’s trust.
The hard part is how to create it.
In his fascinating research, Zak shows increasing oxytocin levels in the brain leads to trust, which in turn facilitates collaboration and teamwork. Accordingly, he has identified eight key management behaviors that stimulate oxytocin production: things like facilitating whole-person growth, recognizing excellence, and showing vulnerability.
While topics like “trust” and “vulnerability’ might feel a bit too squishy for the workplace, Zak has demonstrated that there is hard science behind their necessity. And more importantly, his research helps us understand what we need to do to increase them.
So what could you start doing today to increase trust in your organization? What do you wish the leaders you work with would do? How will you encourage them to get started?
Inspiration article: https://hbr.org/2017/01/the-neuroscience-of-trust
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