Career Advice: Don’t Underestimate the Power of Trust

The great resignation and quiet quitting are so last year(s). If you’re up to date on your workforce trends, you know that quiet vacationing is where it’s at in 2024.

These three movements have taken the workplace by storm the last few years and they are all fueled by a workforce that is no longer drinking the Kool-Aid. The modern day workforce is burnt out, checked out and many have ✌️out on the corporate 9-5.

One of the biggest barriers to productivity and fulfillment in the work place right now is a disengaged workforce. We hear it when we talk to clients and frankly, it’s keeping us up at night, so we’re doing something about it.

We are working on approachable, repeatable tools to help leaders re-engage with their people but before we give you the full playbook it’s imperative to understand that the foundation to employee engagement is trust. If your people don’t trust you, they will not give you their best effort. Full stop.

Perhaps even more difficult to hear, it takes time to establish and or re-build trust. There is no quick fix, you have to do the work. The good news is, the work is actually pretty simple: do what you say you’re going to do. Then keep doing it, over and over and over again. For our visual learners, here’s the formula:

We get that plans change, business moves fast and you need to keep up. The key to preserving trust during times of change is clear communication. You can still accomplish consistency of words and action over time even when you need to do an about-face on what was previously communicated. You just need to tell your people the new plan and take them on the journey with you.

We are curious to know…

p.s. A great way to build trust with a new employee is to have a thoughtful onboarding program. We’ve put together a free onboarding toolkit just because we love you.

Tell Me Somethin’good:

Call to Action: Bring Back Sabbaticals! (And let’s not make them quiet).

Unlimited PTO and flexible work policies still aren’t giving people what they need to support their wellbeing — if they were, quiet vacationing wouldn’t be a thing.

There is a direct correlation to burnout reduction, improved mental health and work-life balance for employees and enhanced productivity, increased innovation and employee retention for employers who offer a sabbatical program.

So why aren’t more companies offering sabbaticals? Taking an extended period of time off can be disruptive but some companies are thinking creatively about how to give their people the break they need while still investing in a high performance culture.

The aviation consultancy, SimpliFlying mandates employees take one week off after every 8 weeks of work. That’s right we said mandates. If the company finds you working during your mandatory week off, they will dock your pay. 🤯

The 8:1 sabbatical program has been in effect for 5 years at SimpliFlying, proving that such a program is impactful and sustainable.

We are at the tipping point of the churn and burn approach to work. Companies like SimpliFlying are the way of the future. If you don’t start looking to invest innovative work-life balance programs now, employees will leave you behind in the days ahead.

Resources Worth Your Click

🎙️ Relationships at Work with Esther Perel: Exploring the dynamics of trust, power, and people pleasing.

📱Leave it to TikTok to help explain Quiet Vacationing.

✈️ Hear more about the SimpliFlying sabbatical program on the Work Life Podcast: The Science of Recharging on Weekends and Vacations.

🎧 Work Therapy Podcast: How to build trust with your team.

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