Building Ethical Trust and Learning From Employees

Understanding the company means understanding employee experiences, perceptions (positive, indifferent and negative), concerns and judgments.

To gain this type of insight takes effort, psychological safety and trust.

Taja M. Graham, an entrepreneurial executive growth driver, believes it is effort well invested for the mutual gains generated.

“People want to be open to trust,’ Graham says. “They want to share experiences and learn from others. If you are open, you will learn from others’ perspectives that can help you in your growth and development.”

One way that Graham has built relationships and connection has been to extend invitations to employees to meet for lunch to have a conversation.

“I actually prepped the conversation in advance by acknowledging this was my way of getting to know my fellow peers to best lead in the future,” she says. “I made sure that the environment was on neutral grounds and never in my office. Questions always started with personal engaging questions like favorite things or moments. I left plenty of time for there to be questions that I could address, candidly building trust for future interaction.”

It additionally helped, she says, that she had developed particular skills over the years to read what may not have been spoken.

“I am very intuitive and able to read body language and readdress to help advance the conversation,” Graham states.

Conversations were made easier for her guests to feel more comfortable by what was expressed to help create an environment that felt less vulnerable.

“I made sure that rules were defined in knowing that the information shared would remain in trust between the two of us,” Graham says. “I made sure that if I felt something in the conversation would help me shape future communications with others, they would be made aware up front to give more input.”

And if she sensed that the employee remained guarded with walls up, she knew what was necessary and acted in way to lessen that stress.

“If any one still felt uncomfortable, I would give them needed space and remain open in due time,” Graham says.

Whether she knew it or not at the time, that respect and sensitivity impressed and others soon learned about this ethical and kind behavior.

“As word started getting around that I was taking this approach and how they felt coming from the conversation, others started to seek out the opportunity,” Graham says.

Learning was the goal and Graham accomplished it, even if it made for the possibility of some uncomfortable or painful moments. She would respond with poise and curiosity.

“I learned quickly to take off the title hat and be prepared to be very vulnerable in the conversations in order to get transparency and trust,” she says. “If I didn’t agree with something stated, I would ask, ‘Tell me more?’”

That pause, question, silence and patience, Graham knew, could be helpful to her and the other person.

“Oftentimes there is intention in why people address questions in a certain way, I needed to dig deep to discern exactly what the intentions would be and why.”