Have you ever taken a team-building course and participated in some form of trust-building exercise? If so, this is because trust is a key element in the workplace and one of the most critical to high-functioning teams.

In a 2017 Harvard Business Review article “The Neuroscience of Trust,” Paul J. Zak shares study results showing high-trust cultures experience significantly more:

• job satisfaction,
• alignment with company purpose,
• feelings of closeness with coworkers,
• sense of accomplishment,
• workday energy,
• productivity, and
• overall engagement.

They also indicated forty percent less burnout.

Even more exciting, data also showed that offering trust before trustworthiness is demonstrated improves the likelihood of trustworthy reactions. Meaning, we can improve a culture of trust by offering trust before its earned.

Vulnerability breeds trust, which is shared through conversation and connection.

Active listening, meaningful questions, displays of interest, asking for help,...