A checklist for building trust
Trust is a fickle thing, however. People try to overcomplicate it when in fact establishing trust is simple. I hope the following pointers will help you to review your business in this light:
1.) Clarity over your vision
Why was I so quick to say yes to Kelsey when she asked if she could work from South Africa? Well, the answer is because we are all absolutely clear about why we do what we do. We know why we get out of bed in the morning. We know the impact that we are trying to have, and we know what needs to happen to achieve it. We know both our business and our personal objectives, and everything we need to do has been designed to be repeatable, scalable, consistent and, most importantly, measurable.
2.) Hire well
I have written endlessly about ‘fit’, which should be the main driver behind finding the right team members for your business. The power of ‘fit’ – the skills, qualities, behaviours, and attributes someone brings to their role – is underestimated, and when it’s overlooked early on, it will cause irreparable damage down the line.
We are no doubt as a profession focused on academic qualifications and designations, but just take a moment to think this through: if you were to allow any of your team to work anywhere in the world for any amount of time, what skills, qualities, behaviours, and attributes would you REALLY need them to have? I can guess what would be on your list, and I can tell you, there are no exams or qualifications for these!
3.) Role profiles and responsibilities need to be designed with the business in mind
Too often we see role profiles written only in the best interests of the person currently doing the job. This causes total chaos, especially when that person leaves the firm. When there is clarity about a person’s responsibilities, it is much easier to review progress and performance, to support them with any training and development, and to bring in additional resources when the needs of the role outweigh capacity to deliver! In our case, with Kelsey being so clear about her role, she knows what her deliverables are and the standards to meet. She knows how her role and responsibilities feed into those of her teammates.
4.) Standards over expectations
I know, standards, structures, processes, and procedures are not the most glamorous of subjects, nor do they bounce many of us out of bed in the morning. But the tide is changing, and if we really want to be able to run a fully supported remote or even global business, they are a must-have. Many firms are waking up to the fact that high standards, well-thought-out structures, and robust processes and procedures are the bedrock of everything we are trying to achieve – from wherever in the world we are working.
5.) Deadlines are a must
Everyone needs a deadline, and believe it or not, people do actually like them as they help to prioritise. The primary rule for deadlines is that no task should be delegated to others, or requested of you, without one attached. We are all really busy, we all have more stuff on our lists than we have hours in a day, so the main purpose of a deadline is to focus the mind – be it your own or someone else’s. This is also key if you have team members that are not working together in the same physical environment – even more so if they are in different time zones.
What do other leaders say?
So, I know you are still very much finding your own way of working and settling back into a rhythm, but really, think about where else you could take this. Could you be more adventurous and more flexible with your team and how both they and you work?
I reached out to a number of contacts to temperature check how they felt about trust and a global approach to working. I have to say, I really do agree with what they said. What a wonderful opportunity for those individuals who have found themselves as part of their teams:
‘I’ve been running a remote model with my team of 5 for the last 3 years and I honestly think we’re not going back to an in-person model ever. We’ve also had our 3 biggest years in the business in this period and, to be fair, if we hire today, it is for a remote role exclusively. In our case, I feel it has given our team the flexibility to focus on goals other than just work. We have a strict cut-off on work and zero communication after 5 pm…. It has been a great ride.’
Rickson Dsouza (Financial Planner, Practice Principal, Dubai)
‘I would personally love this. I think as long as the employee is regimented enough to be able to do this, it would work quite well. I also think it gives employees accountability, which empowers them and ends up working beautifully for all parties.’
Eva Ikonomakos (Client Relations, Quest Capital)
‘As an employer who has travelled whilst running my business, I am all for staff having flexibility to work from wherever suits them. Within our bookkeeping practice we are moving towards a results-only work environment where staff already manage workflows, and time of work, so there is no reason this could not work for many roles. Where meetings are required, as long as there was flexibility with employee regarding timings of different time zones, then zoom meetings will work. There are roles this wouldn’t work in, where physical attendance is required, but many servicebased businesses could.’
Leander Daddow (Business Owner, Celtic Bookkeeping & Accountancy Services)
Remember, this is a marathon and not a 100-metre sprint. This is also a tipping point towards seeing our teams as made up of individuals. What works for one may not be the case for all. As we shape our new ‘normal’, it is important to have individual conversations and really get to know our teams. Trust works both ways, but the best leaders trust first!
* https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/survey-productivitybalance-improve-during-pandemic-remote-work/
About Michelle Hoskin
Michelle Hoskin (aka Little Miss WOWW!TM) is well known for her endless enthusiasm and energy, infectious personality and unique outlook on what she describes as a “magical profession”. Michelle is pioneering a drive towards increased professionalism and operational excellence through her continued work at Standards International of which she is the founder.
