Balancing Competence and Benevolence in Professional Settings

Trust smooths the way for collaboration, conflict resolution, and influence. But how do you build this asset? And how do you repair it when you’ve missed a series of important deadlines or otherwise messed up?

Organizational psychologist Ruchi Sinha talks with a listener who’s struggling to restore skeptics’ confidence in her and her team. Ruchi shares the three elements of trust and how to convey each one. She also offers advice on what to do if you’ve failed to acknowledge a broken promise and how to communicate practically when confidentiality prevents you from being totally transparent.

Guest expert:

Ruchi Sinha is an associate professor of organizational behavior at the University of South Australia Business School. Her research explores how voice, conflict, and power dynamics influence work relationships and performance outcomes.

Resources:

• “New to the Team? Here’s How to Build Trust (Remotely),” by Ruchi Sinha
• “How High-Performing Teams Build Trust,” by Ron Friedman
• “10 Pitfalls That Destroy Organizational Trust,” by Frances X. Frei and Anne Morriss
• “What to Do When You Don’t Trust Your Employee,” by Dina Denham Smith
• “How to Build Trust at Work,” from the HBR on Leadership podcast

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