Are you worried that you don’t have the level of trust with your colleagues that would help you get the benefit of the doubt in certain situations? Sometimes, you can’t help but wonder, “Why is this person assuming the worst about me? Why did they respond to my email as if my message to them was some kind of attack?”
Often, you don’t get the benefit of the doubt because you don’t have a strong enough connection with that person—and it’s really worth investing in creating that stronger connection.
But how?
How to Connect with Your Team
The first and most effective way to create a connection is to have downtime together—especially downtime where you can break bread together. Biologically, eating with someone actually strengthens your bond with them. Even if it’s a remote teammate, just jump on that Zoom call and drink your coffee and eat your muffin. It still works!
Another way to create that connection is to share something personal. Chat about your latest Netflix binge or about your favorite TikToker as you’re making your way into or out of a meeting. This can be very casual, just creating a connection around your own style.
The Owner’s Manual
I have a tool called the Owner’s Manual, which can help you share with your colleagues what’s the best way to connect with you and some of your habits and idiosyncrasies. Sharing that and sparking a conversation about it can really help foster connection. And it’s worth it, because if you have a strong connection and you send an email that could be interpreted in different ways, or you say something in a meeting, they’re going to cut you some slack and give you the benefit of the doubt instead of assuming the worst.
If you have a strong connection with your colleagues, you’re going to get that benefit of the doubt in a lot of situations that come up.
Avoiding Distractions
One of the most important situations where you either get the benefit of the doubt or you don’t, these days, is when you’re caught being distracted. And it matters, because distraction erodes connection. It affects your reputation.
So take a moment to learn about all the ways that being distracted can affect you, and what you can do to be less distracted and not ruin the connection you’ve built with your colleagues.
What To Do With an Untrustworthy Teammate
Building Trust in Remote and Hybrid Teams