Building Trust In A New Setting

Recently, one of my friends joined a new organization in a senior role. During our coffee catch-up just before his joining, he confided in me about his main concern: building trust with the board and management team. We delved into ways to foster trust in any new setting and laid out five ways trust happens. 

1. Clarify Expectations: When you step into a new organization or role, it is crucial that you manage expectations well. Take care to understand the expectations your key stakeholders have from you and let them know what they can expect from you. Clarifying expectations helps you gain a focus on results.
2. Deliver Results: This was an obvious one. People believe in you only when you deliver results. Track record is key. So, in any new setting, let your work and results speak first. Focus on early wins to create impact. 
3. Keep Commitments: Stakeholders love it when you keep your commitments. Be proactive and deliver on all the commitments you make. This is perhaps the biggest lever to building trusting relationships in the early phase of any new role. 
4. Demonstrate Integrity: Ensure there is no double-speak and there is alignment between what you say and what you do. When you are new in any setting, others closely observe your every move. People are trying to gauge whether they can trust you or not. So operating with integrity will take you far in building trust. 
5. Give Respect: Trust and respect are two sides of the same coin. Think about it. You will never trust someone you don’t respect. Flipping it- when you are respectful of others, you are automatically creating the runway to build trust. One mistake we make is going into a new setting, thinking we will change how the place works. This attitude causes a lot of resentment. Instead, be respectful- listen to what people say and take it on board. Work on their suggestions. 

Your first 90 days in any new setting are crucial to building trust and deep relationships that will sustain longevity. After figuring out the five ways to build trust, my friend and I parted ways. We were both wiser from the reflection.