INT 113: How to Regain Trust When it's Lost

In this episode of Int-HER-rupt, our host Linda Yates has a conversation with Cheryl Nye. They discuss the importance of trust and how to respond when trust is broken - whether in the workplace or in life.

Cheryl’s Background:

• After dabbling in being an entrepreneur, Cheryl found her niche in corporate America. She is a data consultant and has been working with the same company for 17 years.
• As a member of the Toastmasters Club Sensor Toast, she gained confidence in communication and leadership. This experience created the foundation for the work she does today.

The Importance of Trust

• Nye calls trust the “foundation of all relationships” - whether at home or in the workplace.
• Without trust, communication falls apart. If someone doesn’t trust their team leader to respect them, they won’t come forward if something is going wrong. Similarly, if a leader can’t trust members of their team to follow through on projects, the work will fall on a few individuals or on the leader themselves.
• Once trust is lost, it can be hard to regain it, regardless of whether the person losing it is in a leadership position or not.

How to Recover From Broken Trust

• Communication: If you have lost trust in someone in the workplace, communicate this with them as clearly and compassionately as possible. As Nye says in the episode, “Speak with love.” Understand the problem you’re having, and be up front about it without condescension or negativity.
• Accountability: If you have broken someone’s trust, take responsibility. Take the time to listen and understand how the other person is feeling. Apologize and make a plan for how to improve - then follow through on that plan.
• Nye and our host Linda Yates both place a lot of importance on leading with the heart. When time is taken to truly listen, understand and change, trust can be rebuilt, even when it takes a long time.

Learning to Trust YOURSELF Again

• If you’ve been the one to make a mistake or mess up, it can be hard to believe in yourself and can cause more stress than is actually helpful.
• Nye’s advice is to use the “5 Why’s” to assess the root cause of the problem. She gives the following example: If you’re chronically late to work, ask yourself why you’re late. If it’s because the meeting wasn’t in your calendar, ask why it wasn’t in the calendar. Why? Maybe the calendar is not set up in a way that is easy to use. Knowing this, you can seek out a new calendar to try. Once you reach the root cause, you can turn it into action.
• Practice trusting your instincts. Listen to your gut - it is often right. Ask yourself how you feel about a stressful situation, and really listen to yourself.
• Finally, take a step back. Zoom out. Listen to others as well, and see how they’re responding to you. Self-reflection is a huge part of self-improvement, and Nye attributes this skill to helping her grow and develop her interpersonal communication skills to where they are today.

Trust in the workplace is what helps create the bonds that makes a team strong. Without healthy communication and the knowledge that fellow teammates will follow through, a team will always suffer and lose their ability to work cohesively. If that trust is broken, accountability and actively listening can create a safe environment where trust can be rebuilt.

If this episode connected with you, reach out to Linda and let her know. This podcast is produced by TSE Studios. Check out other podcasts by TSE Studios, including this episode’s sponsor, The Sales Evangelist, helping new and struggling sellers close more deals and achieve their sales goals. Subscribe to the