So we had our virtual team building last week and it is one of the company’s activities to keep the employees engaged and bonded despite the distance and the work from home situation that prevents us from actually communicating in person.
We still see each other via Zoom and Google Meet but… How I missed saying hello whenever bumping with colleagues in the office, drinking coffee from the pantry or having a lunch out with my office friends but this is what we have now and we must make the best of the time that we have.
Anyway, so this team building activity has focused on one of the important values that we all should have as a department and that is TRUST. Being trustworthy is also a vital trait that one should aim to be.
The Human Resources officer shared the acronym version of TRUST so that we can remember to inculcate this value in our minds and action and so I will be sharing them here and hopefully it could help you and you’ll learn a thing or two as well.
T — Transparent with our team
Transparency in any business or organization is very important. We should be straightforward but at the same time respectful (more on this later).
How can we be transparent, though? First thing: practice honesty. In everything that we do, we must focus on our integrity and to be honest in our job and on how we deal with other people. We should be honest in doing our actual tasks even when there is no superior that is monitoring us. We should honestly admit to our faults instead of pointing fingers.
Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable. Sometimes we worry about being coined as weak and vulnerable so we tend to hide our weaknesses. We won’t ask for help when facing difficulties because we are full of pride. And it gives more problem instead of solution in general so we must be open to admitting that we will be needing our colleagues’ help and support. By asking for help early on, we can manage to find the answers to the mishaps ahead of the deadlines.
Third thing to remember is to always give feedback. This way people would know whether they are doing something accurately and spectacularly, or if they are busting on a job. This will also encourage people to do better should they be lacking on some aspects (but of course this should be done with respect).
Lastly, we must state our expectations. If we are not going to voice it all out loud, then there won’t be a proper communication between the team. It doesn’t matter if the expectations are high or low, it has to be known so the team could work on a solution that could actually work.
R — Respect
R stands for Respect, which is to be earned, not imposed. Seniority doesn’t always equate to greatness and you cannot expect people to respect you just because you are ahead in years… but that is not always the case.
Maybe this is why people tend to pretend in front of others, the term we call “plastic”, because you cannot exactly call out a misconduct of a superior in as much as you can easily talk it out with a friend. However, here’s to hoping that they can see what they are actually doing wrong and realise the things that they have to change for a better harmony and relationship in the working space.
I totally appreciate having colleagues who are older than me and are acting their age: being mature and trustworthy. I had a team leader once who was one of the best that I could hope to have. He always cheers his team. He knows when to spout compliments and doesn’t blame an employee should they come up lacking or if they would make mistakes in their tasks. Rather, he always finds a way for the team to work as one and initiate to work on a solution instead of pointing fingers. He also is not afraid to admit when he himself has committed some mistakes. He also is willing to learn from his team. He is the epitome of “there is no I in team” . No wonder he has everyone’s respect and it is a blessing to be included in his roster of subordinates.
In the end, it still boils down into how you are actually treating the people around you, and if you are brimming with kindness and thoughtfulness then it would reflect on your being and to how other people would treat you as well.
As the golden rule goes, “Do not do unto others what you don’t want others to do unto you.” You cannot expect people to give what you yourself is not willing to give out. While you cannot always expect people to treat you like how you treat them, choose to be compassionate and kind but at the same time, don’t lose your impeccable work ethics and personal principles.
And if you cannot respect the people around you…. I guess you know what comes after. That is what you have to learn to change and improve.
U — Unity
The HR officer also reminded us of the technicalities of why we should be bonded and how we can still be united in this time. They discussed how they choose newly hired employees that would “vibe” with the personal values and goals of the team beforehand so they can easily blend in.
To be united as one team, these are some things that we need to remember:
To have one vision
To have one mission
To have the same core values
To have department objectives
To have same personal values
It happens all the time and you cannot expect a team to be perfect. Someone won’t be able to grasp and remember the standards of practice of every task. We all work differently. Some can be efficient while some would feel like a burden to a team. But still, we should still try to keep it together and be more compassionate towards each other. We should also inspire each member to be better.
S — Show Your Care
Showing that we care is a very challenging entry, especially these days when we are all going through our own battles and very far from each other, staying at home. Proximity is a hindrance but it should not stop us from showing that we care.
Back when we can still show physical appreciation, a smile would usually suffice to show that we somehow care. We could also treat them pizza or just get their coffee from the dispenser — simple things that could mean so much for a hurting and weary heart.
But since this is not possible anymore these days because of the work-from-home setup, showing that we care could be in the form of a Skype message or an email. It could also be a simple compliment or a comment of how something has reminded us of them. It could also be a simple “job well done”.
T — Trust-building activities build morale (words of affirmation)
T is somehow connected to S, but this time we actually put it into practice through words of affirmation. Words, as we all know, hold so much power.
Your words can make or break someone’s day even without you knowing it.
Complimenting your colleagues is a good practice of this. Showing gratitude after a particularly hard task is something that one will definitely appreciate at the end of the work week. Making them smile by noticing their little antics or their new Google Meet/Background can put a smile on their faces even on the roughest of days. It will help you feel at ease, likewise, as making someone happy is one of the greatest feelings in the world.
The team building ended with a call for action and hopefully we can all manage to be trustworthy enough so the department can continue to prosper.
Trust, when given should not be broken because it is hard to give it back.
Trust is important to keep a team running efficiently.
Trust is a relevant value in our daily lives.
Are you a trustworthy person?
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Thank you to all of you, lovely sponsors! Forever grateful for your generosity! And to the readers, I truly appreciate it. I hope you get to relate a thing or two and maybe get to apply it on your lives as well.
To being trustworthy,
A
That is a good acronym for TRUST. People actually underestimate the power of words. They have either a positive or negative effect depending on how they are used, but they are so so very powerful!