{"id":5471,"date":"2023-02-25T08:43:50","date_gmt":"2023-02-25T13:43:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.trustacrossamerica.com\/blog\/?p=5471"},"modified":"2023-02-25T08:43:50","modified_gmt":"2023-02-25T13:43:50","slug":"trust-lessons-from-working-remotely-a-look-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.trustacrossamerica.com\/blog\/?p=5471","title":{"rendered":"Trust Lessons from Working Remotely&#8230; a Look Back"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.trustacrossamerica.com\/blog\/?attachment_id=5397\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5397\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-5397 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.trustacrossamerica.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screen-Shot-2022-02-25-at-9.57.34-AM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"275\" height=\"156\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.trustacrossamerica.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screen-Shot-2022-02-25-at-9.57.34-AM.png 1370w, https:\/\/www.trustacrossamerica.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screen-Shot-2022-02-25-at-9.57.34-AM-300x170.png 300w, https:\/\/www.trustacrossamerica.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screen-Shot-2022-02-25-at-9.57.34-AM-768x436.png 768w, https:\/\/www.trustacrossamerica.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screen-Shot-2022-02-25-at-9.57.34-AM-1024x582.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.trustacrossamerica.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screen-Shot-2022-02-25-at-9.57.34-AM-1200x681.png 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 275px) 100vw, 275px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>By Barbara Brooks Kimmel, Founder Trust Across America-Trust Around the World<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Early in 2020 several members of our Trust Alliance convened around the topic: <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">Trust Lessons from Working Remotely<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s1\">At the time many of us had only been working remotely for several weeks, while for others, this had been their norm for years.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span class=\"s1\">Dozens of excellent insights were offered during the session and\u00a0they are divided into three categories.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>The Good<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Trust is foundational regardless of whether people are working face to face or remotely.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Trust is the ultimate collaboration tool.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Leaders who invested in learning the language and creating a foundation of trust have a competitive advantage in our current environment. Kudos to them for addressing trust before a crisis.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Some employees may be more efficient working on their own schedule instead of on a time- clock, and with less micromanagement. Some interesting work-from-home data is contained in this article. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fundera.com\/resources\/working-from-home-statistics\"><span class=\"s2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fundera.com\/resources\/working-from-home-statistics\" class=\"autohyperlink\">www.fundera.com\/resources\/working-from-home-statistics<\/a><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">The current pandemic environment represents a rare and unique opportunity for managers to work on <a href=\"https:\/\/trustacrossamerica.com\/tap-into-trust.shtml\"><span class=\"s2\">trust building behaviors <\/span><\/a>like accountability, openness and respect. It\u2019s also a great time to be relying less on email and more on verbal communication.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">In all levels of society we are learning that facing challenges and solving problems are simplified when trust is amplified.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>The Bad<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Adding more technology options does not build trust, nor is it a substitute for trust. Trust is interpersonal. It develops over time and builds in incremental steps through principled behavior.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">If trust was lacking in the office before the pandemic, this deficiency will be amplified with employees working remotely.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">If people are more productive working remotely, managers MUST ask themselves why.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Employees who were disengaged pre-crisis (the majority according to Gallup) will most likely be even more disengaged now. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Some people are finding that the 5 day work week has become a 7 day week and don\u2019t know when to end their workday. In other words, work\/life balance can suffer in some cases.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>The Ugly<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Nothing busts employee trust faster than a layoff (some countries have laws prohibiting layoffs.) With so many alternatives, leaders who were the earliest to press the downsize button may be last to fill vacancies with qualified employees when they need them again. These companies will be viewed by good talent as too risky and certainly not employee centric. In fact, decline in profitability, employee performance and even bankruptcies are all too common <a href=\"https:\/\/hbr.org\/2018\/05\/layoffs-that-dont-break-your-company\"><span class=\"s2\">when layoffs are the solution of choice<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Many view fear as the opposite of trust and when leaders do nothing to allay the fears of their employees and other stakeholders during a time of crisis, they are setting themselves up for further damage in the future.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Fluffy marketing garbage is not working. The public has become way too skeptical to believe most of the \u201cpurpose\u201d filled trust messages that brands are attempting to deliver. When a bank tells me they are \u201chere for me during this time of crisis\u201d while simultaneously cutting savings account interest rates but not credit card interest, I would rather not receive their marketing message. In fact they may just lose my business.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">And speaking of banks, any organization in any industry whose leaders haven&#8217;t learned how to bank trust by building a strong foundation, can now expect their own bank balance to continue to decline as distrust increases.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>A few suggestions were offered to elevate trust:<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Assign a permanent Remote Workforce Manager.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">If you didn\u2019t already have one, a crisis continuity plan should be created.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Have more frequent \u201ctouch points\u201d with your team, not only about work related matters but also about personal needs. Also, don\u2019t forget the mental health of your employees during these difficult times.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Set up a buddy system for new employees. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Get your workforce up to speed with technology, but don\u2019t over invest in it, or view it as a quick and easy trust \u201cfix.\u201d<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Set aside some of that budget to learn how to build trust. It may be a little more work, but will produce much great rewards over the long-term.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Finally, Stephen M.R. Covey reminded the group that COVID is redefining our work environments. Once this crisis passes, leaders will need to reevaluate the following:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol class=\"ol1\">\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">How work is done: The \u201cnew\u201d hybrid combining in-person and remote work will require more trust, not less.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">How we learn: Learning may require a different process that also requires more trust.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">How we lead: Leading with trust will continue to be a better way.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Now that almost three years have passed, have we made any progress? Not from my perspective. In fact, everything we knew about the benefits of high trust in the past is now further amplified. Often, it takes a crisis to remind us what happens when trust is ignored or taken for granted. Which leaders are emerging the strongest from COVID 19?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0Could it be<\/span>\u00a0those who chose to place trust in the center of their business strategy long before March 2020? Leaders and their organizations who banked trust before COVID 19 are being\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/trustacrossamerica.com\/documents\/index\/Return-Methodology.pdf\">handsomely rewarded,<\/a> and should continue to be long into the future.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s1\">Trust Alliance members including Lea Brovedani, Stephen M.R. Covey, Natalie Doyle Oldfield,<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Charles Feltman, Sean Flaherty, Darshan Kulkarni, Olivia Mathijsen, and Bob Whipple joined me in this very lively discussion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-best-social-bookmark\"><ul class=\"socials\"><li class=\"oknotizie\"><a href=\"http:\/\/oknotizie.virgilio.it\/post.html.php?url=https:\/\/www.trustacrossamerica.com\/blog\/?p=5471&title=Trust Lessons from Working Remotely&#8230; a Look Back\" title=\"Share this on oknotizie\"> <\/a><\/li><li class=\"twitter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/home?status=Trust Lessons from Working Remotely&#8230; a Look Back &raquo; https:\/\/www.trustacrossamerica.com\/blog\/?p=5471\" title=\"Share this on twitter\"> <\/a><\/li><li class=\"delicious\"><a href=\"http:\/\/del.icio.us\/post?url=https:\/\/www.trustacrossamerica.com\/blog\/?p=5471&title=Trust Lessons from Working Remotely&#8230; a Look Back\" title=\"Share this on del.icio.us\"> <\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Now that almost three years have passed, have we made any progress? Not from my perspective. In fact, everything we knew about the benefits of high trust in the past is now further amplified.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[45,404,390,454],"tags":[122,136,116,5,7],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trustacrossamerica.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5471"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trustacrossamerica.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trustacrossamerica.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trustacrossamerica.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trustacrossamerica.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5471"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.trustacrossamerica.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5471\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5473,"href":"https:\/\/www.trustacrossamerica.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5471\/revisions\/5473"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trustacrossamerica.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5471"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trustacrossamerica.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5471"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trustacrossamerica.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5471"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}