People are hired because they’re experts in their fields or show potential to do great work. Withholding trust can make them feel you’re not acknowledging the skills that brought them to the table in the first place, and potentially lead them to resent you.Remember that you hired your team members for a reason. It all comes down to trust. If you want to show confidence in your direct reports and develop a respectful relationship, give them the benefit of the doubt. You want to build an environment where people feel safe enough to experiment, fail, learn from their mistakes, and grow.

Know that Trust Is Given, Not Earn.

Instead of asking “Who’s at fault?”, strong leaders ask, “Where did the process break down?”﻿Discussing how to prevent a mistake — rather than shaming colleagues and peers — goes a long way in promoting trust on your team as opposed to fear or contempt.

Asking The Right Question

Blaming others for your problems can diminish your (and your team members’) accountability. When you use blame — as opposed to thoughtful analysis and communication — to diagnose an issue, you turn yourself into a passive victim and encourage your direct reports to do the same.If something goes wrong on your team — missed deadlines or unmet goals — don’t default to blaming the individuals. Instead, take a system’s approach to solve the problem. This means you consider the problem as a whole, and not in parts.

Eliminate Blame Culture

In the hybrid world of work, new managers may be faced with a difficult challenge: leading a team who you have never met in person. This means you’ll likely need to build trust and camaraderie between people in different locations and time zones.

Create Team Rituals to Build Trust with Your Coworkers

Set up regular (weekly or biweekly) one-on-one meetings with each member of your team to ensure open and honest communication. During these meetings, check-in with them about any challenges they may be facing, what they need from you to do their best work, and how you can improve as their boss or better work together.

Build a Culture of Feedback from The Start

Ask for help. While it may seem like a hard task when you’re a new leader, remind yourself that you don’t have to know it all.Reach out to your trusted peers, mentors, or your own manager. Don’t let the initial stress of your new role turn into the chronic stress of burnout. Speak up and ask for what you need before it gets to this point. This is not just something you should do for yourself, but also for your team — because working alongside someone who is burned out can affect your team’s productivity.