Trust obliges? - Trust binds!
What the corona period at home in the home office has shown us very clearly is that the way in which leadership is lived and experienced by employees has changed very radically - because it has changed abruptly.
Suddenly, the dimensions of control by the manager, self-control by employees and mutual trust became the determining factors in this new way of working. But what is the good and special thing about it when a manager manages to overcome fears of losing control and first tries to build trust?
From the employee's perspective, perceived trust in the manager can lead to a sense of obligation. Precisely because my manager places trust in me, I don't want to disappoint this trust.
This positively marked behavior can have a direct influence on my self-control as a result of a commitment. Incidentally, we often see this phenomenon in our dealings with customers. If customers have confidence in me as an entrepreneur or in my product, they are more likely to act loyally towards me or recommend me to others with a good feeling.
Feelings and emotions play a very important role in the way we humans motivate ourselves.
If we like doing something, we feel motivated. If we don't like doing something, the project requires quite a bit of strength to achieve a result that is just satisfactory.
If a supervisor with a highly controlling attitude is sitting on our backs while we are working from home, this behavior can of course have an impact on the quality and excellence of our work performance - but above all, it can have a negative impact on our motivation. Exactly the opposite of what smart companies want ... They want to retain employees because they know about the highest intangible company value - that of their motivated and qualified employees.
Trust therefore seems to be worthwhile and also to bind employees to the company.
Trust also protects the so-called intrinsic motivation of employees. It is described as the most intense form of motivation that people who enjoy doing the things they do and do them with an inner lightness.
If an intrinsically highly motivated employee encounters "too much control" on the part of the superior or superiors, this can have fatal consequences and reduce motivation and thus also the willingness to perform.
Control systems or the way in which employees are monitored, for example when working from home, should therefore always be made visible. Both sides, employees and managers, should communicate requirements and expectations as transparently as possible. If this happens sufficiently, the control dimension is only a side issue.
A further literature recommendation in this context is the book "Trust leads - What really matters in the company" by Reinhard K. Sprenger.
Author: Patrick Eder, M.A. | www.sinn-im-zentrum.com
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