What are effective ways to build trust and rapport with peers?

Showing up as your true self - unique personality characteristics, humor, the other part of your life outside work - helps others better understand who you are and where you're coming from. Being yourself, not some cookie-cutter version of you, gives others the permission to do the same.

In my experience being honest will give you a better working environment and less chance in having a hostile work environment.

Per Steven Covey's "7 Habits of Highly Effective People", "Seek first to understand, then to be understood. Conflict is the clash of different paradigms, and effectively communicating is critical to resolving conflicts. Conflicts must be resolved to the benefit of all participants or the organization will be affected negatively with poor productivity.

Having the gumption to be authentic is key. By being true to who you are and communicating openly and honestly, you will start to build a trusting relationship with others. Granted, you may not always agree on every issue at hand; however, if you approach conversations or situations with openness and with empathy to others perspectives, you will be laying the foundation for better relationships.

Emotional Psychology and HR Perspective Active Listening: Demonstrating genuine interest in what others have to say and listening attentively. This involves not just hearing the words, but also understanding the emotions and intentions behind them. Active listening shows respect and validation of others' feelings and perspectives. Empathy: Being able to put oneself in another's shoes and understand their emotions and experiences. Empathy fosters deeper connections and shows that you are not just aware of their feelings but also care about them. Authenticity: Being genuine and transparent with your feelings and intentions. People tend to trust peers who are authentic and consistent in their behavior.

Empathy is an incredibly important skill that many of us still need to develop. The ability to really put yourself in someone else’s shoes is so vital to make, keep, and grow personal and professional relationships. Empathy is even more important when trying to understand a peers point of view. Looking at the world through their “lens” gives you a unique perspective and allows rapport to be built with some understanding as to who the peer is and what makes them “tic.”

Be genuinely curious about the other person whether it’s a peer, colleague, manager or client. Every person is a deep pool of wisdom and intrigue. Don’t be afraid to dive in and explore through genuine questioning. My favorite opener? “What’s your story?”

Listen to understand vs listening to buy yourself time to figure out what you're going to say next. Offer a verbal acknowledgement of what you heard and ask if you are understanding the situation correctly and the point of view of the other party.

One of the most beneficial things anyone has ever said to me is “if you are thinking about your responses prior to the person finishing a statement; are you truly listening?”

I always believe firmly in How you say than What you say. The tone and expression will help the other person to decide if they want to listen or not. Focus on your peers conversation, what they are trying to say, ask questions and validate their feelings. Be empathetic in order to understand and acknowledge their emotions. This will strengthen the connection and build trust and understanding.

One way I approach my colleagues is to be genuinely interested in THEM! It's the chit chat at the opening or closing of a call, for sure. With that then, when you follow up later on something that seemed important to them, within that interaction, it shows you cared enough to remember. It's those human details that build genuine trust and rapport. The same appreciation should be shown when others check in with you. It's often surprising to me, the things that folks recall and follow up with me on!

1. Trust is built when people feel that their contributions are seen and valued. By expressing appreciation, you demonstrate that you are attentive and considerate, traits that are fundamental to establishing trust. 2. In a professional setting, expressing appreciation can help to reduce the power distance between different levels of staff, creating a more egalitarian and approachable atmosphere. 3. Regularly expressing appreciation contributes to a positive and supportive environment. This positivity can reduce stress and increase overall job satisfaction and well-being among peers. 4. Recognizing the achievements of individuals and the team fosters a sense of belonging and unity, which is vital for team cohesion and effectiveness.

1. Active Listening: Pay attention to what others say, acknowledging their points and concerns. This demonstrates respect and interest in their opinions. 2. Reliability: Consistently deliver on your commitments. Follow through on promises and meet deadlines, showing that you can be counted on. 3. Empathy: Show understanding and compassion towards your peers’ experiences and challenges. Empathizing creates an emotional connection and shows you value their perspective. 4. Respect Privacy: Be considerate of boundaries and confidential information. Respecting privacy fosters a sense of security and trust.

Expressing appreciation goes a long way. It goes even farther when it’s genuine, raw, and warm-hearted. Take the two compliments below as examples: 1. Dave did a good job selling to our client this past quarter. He helped the team stay focused. 2. I want to give a shoutout to Dave who leaned into a difficult client situation despite having a full workload and sick kids at home. His efforts truly helped us get unstuck and without him, we wouldn’t have landed the deal this past quarter. Dave, I appreciate you and am grateful we get to work together.

For a positive work environment, appreciation and recognition is needed. It is important to acknowledge your peers contribution. Saying Good Job/ Nice work on the project are simple things but the impact it creates is huge. Express gratitude to your colleagues. Say Thank you with a smile and see the difference it makes in the relationships. Positive expressions builds a positive work culture and you create mutual respect. It strengthens interpersonal connections. Watch how your team feels motivated and engaged with simple recognitions. After-all who doesn’t like to be acknowledged and recognized in public. A sense of accomplishment and feeling proud about oneself will boost the morale.

Sharing experience can indeed improve the performance of peers when individuals share their experience it allows others to learn from past situations and experience also sharing success, challenges and lessons

Involve your peers in decision-making processes and seek their input. When people feel included and valued, trust and rapport are built.

I got some great advice early in my career - "don't suffer in silence." I was jumping through hoops and requiring my team to do the same in order to accommodate requests only to learn that the requestor had no idea how difficult what they were asking for was. If something is bothering you, exercise your voice to express what is going on, how it is impacting you, and specifically what you need to change. You may be surprised how eager your cross-functional partners might be to make necessary adjustments. What's obvious to us, isn't obvious to others.

Trust is formed in the space of vulnerability. And that vulnerability needs to come from the top. There is honesty and care in vulnerability and it naturally invites empathy and trust.

Remember that trust comes from treating people like people, doing what you said you were going to do, providing accurate accounts, and not leaving out critical information. Someone recently asked me for help and then added the clause - "if you can." This stuck with me and forced me to acknowledge to myself - yes, I can - so I should, and I did."

Treat them like humans. It sounds simple but you’d be surprised how many forget this. Taking a moment to connect with them and learn about their story makes a big difference in beginning to build rapport. Also, finding common ground with the work and what each other cares about and is there alignment between you and the other person on specific areas (quality, craft, process, etc.).

1. Be consistent! Consistency builds trust. 2. Let go of offense and the need to be offended during feedback. 3. Hold others in higher regard than yourself. 4. Be gracious. 5. Be gracious. 6. Be gracious. 7. Don’t fight to be right.

Remember, building trust and rapport takes time. Consistency in these actions will help foster strong relationships with your peers.