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The Seven Trust Languages for a Better Workplace with Minda Harts

By Money News Network

Minda Harts, author of "The Memo," describes her diverse career path and the central role trust plays in enriching workplace experiences and driving business success. Her upcoming book introduces seven "Trust Languages" encompassing transparency, follow-through, feedback, security, acknowledgment, demonstration, and sensitivity. The podcast explores practical strategies for building and restoring trust between managers and teams.

Harts and host Nicole Lapin examine how cultivating open trust conversations, addressing mistakes, and personalizing approaches can improve team productivity and relationships. The discussion highlights trust as an essential element of a positive and successful work environment, going beyond an ethical concern into a critical factor impacting employee well-being and business outcomes.

The Seven Trust Languages for a Better Workplace with Minda Harts

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The Seven Trust Languages for a Better Workplace with Minda Harts

1-Page Summary

Minda Harts' Diverse Career Path

Harts' career journey saw her transition from aspirations like teaching and firefighting, to pursuing dentistry before switching to communications in college. Her first job was as an administrative assistant, where she often found herself as the only woman, woman of color, or youngest person in professional settings. Facing a toxic work environment, she began a blog sharing her experiences, evolving into her best-seller "The Memo."

Trust as Central to Work Experiences and Business Success

Throughout her conversations, Harts consistently found trust issues were a dominant factor impacting employees' workplace experiences. From her own anxiety and depression due to disrespectful cultures, to businesses facing lower productivity and retention when trust erodes, Harts emphasizes trust is not just an ethical concern but a critical business driver.

Minda's "Talk To Me Nice" and 7 Trust Languages

In her upcoming book, Harts introduces a framework of 7 "Trust Languages" to improve professional relationships: Transparency, Follow-Through, Feedback, Security, Acknowledgment, Demonstration, and Sensitivity. She advises managers understand their team's trust needs, owning mistakes transparently. Approaching discussions appreciatively, rephrasing distrust as requests for trust-building actions can help restore damaged trust.

Strategies for Building & Restoring Workplace Trust

Harts and Lavoie offer strategies like articulating needs through positive, solution-oriented requests, rather than accusations. They highlight leaders modeling self-awareness and personalizing their approaches to earn trust. Fostering open trust conversations, where voices are heard and mistakes addressed, can increase team productivity and buy-in.

1-Page Summary

Additional Materials

Actionables

  • You can create a personal "Trust Audit" for your workplace relationships by listing colleagues and noting areas where trust could be improved, then setting small, actionable goals to enhance trust in those areas. For example, if you find that follow-through is lacking with a certain team member, you might commit to confirming deadlines and providing updates on your progress more frequently.
  • Develop a habit of giving constructive, positive feedback to peers by starting a "Feedback Friday" routine where you share appreciative and growth-oriented comments with at least two colleagues each week. This practice not only builds trust but also creates a culture of open communication and continuous improvement.
  • Initiate a "Mistake of the Month" discussion in your team meetings where team members can voluntarily share a recent mistake and what they learned from it. This encourages a culture of transparency and learning from errors, which can strengthen team bonds and trust over time.

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The Seven Trust Languages for a Better Workplace with Minda Harts

Minda Harts' Personal and Professional Background

Minda Harts' career journey is a tale of transitions, realizing personal strengths, and striving for success in the face of adversity.

Minda's Diverse Career Aspirations and Educational Path

Minda's Journey: Teacher, Firefighter, Dentist, to Communications & Administration

Harts’ career aspirations were varied; from her childhood desire to become a teacher—an aspiration shared by many children—to dreaming of a life of service as a firefighter. She entered college with the aim of becoming a dentist, but chemistry turned out to be a poor fit. Seeking guidance to graduate on time, she switched her major to communications.

Her first job out of college was as an administrative assistant, performing executive administrative work. Harts' flexibility in adapting to a new career path demonstrates her capacity to rise above challenges and find new opportunities.

Minda's Experience As the "Only" in Corporate Environments

Minda Was Often the Only Woman, Woman of Color, or Youngest in Professional Settings

Throughout each job after college, Harts often found herself as the only one in the room—whether it was being the only woman, the only woman of color, the only black woman, or often the youngest person in professional settings. These experiences in corporate America shaped her personal narrative and contributed to her eventual advocacy.

Minda's Toxic Workplace Inspired Her Blog, Leading To Her Best-Seller "The Memo"

Facing a toxic work environment and the pressures to c ...

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Minda Harts' Personal and Professional Background

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Actionables

  • Explore your multifaceted career interests by creating a vision board that includes all potential career paths. Use magazine cutouts, drawings, or printed images to represent each aspiration visually. Place the board somewhere you'll see it daily to keep your diverse interests in the forefront of your mind and to encourage exploration and open-mindedness about your career trajectory.
  • Prepare for unexpected career shifts by developing a "transition toolkit." This can include updating your resume with transferable skills, practicing interview scenarios for different industries, and researching educational resources or certifications that could bridge the gap between your current role and your aspirations. Keep this toolkit accessible and review it periodically to ensure you're ready to pivot when opportunities arise.
  • Build resilience in prof ...

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The Seven Trust Languages for a Better Workplace with Minda Harts

The Significance of Trust in the Workplace

Minda Harts emphasizes that trust is crucial for healthy and productive workplace experiences and that it subsequently serves as a critical business imperative.

Trust as a Core Issue Impacting Workplace Experiences

Across the various stories collected by Minda Harts, a dominant narrative was the profound impact of trust issues on the everyday lives of employees within corporate settings.

Trust Issues Dominated Stories Shared With Minda

In her conversations with individuals at companies and conferences, Harts consistently found that a lack of trust was a central concern among workers. Colleagues often encountered suspicion from one another, inhibiting mutual trust.

Eroded Trust Causes Workplace Depression, Anxiety, and Disrespect

Harts shares her own experiences of working within a corporate environment where she suffered depression, anxiety, and panic attacks, due to a workplace culture lacking in humanity, dignity, and respect—an embodiment of eroded trust.

Trust as a Business Imperative

Trust within a workforce is not just a moral or psychological concern but is also a critical factor influencing key business outcomes.

Impact of Trust on Employee Retention, Productivity, and Profit

Citing Edelman's trust barometer, Harts highlights that the presence of trust in the workplace can lead to the retention of half of its workforce. Additionally, she points out that em ...

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The Significance of Trust in the Workplace

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Counterarguments

  • Trust might not be the sole factor in employee retention; other factors such as compensation, career development opportunities, and work-life balance also play significant roles.
  • While trust can increase productivity, it is not the only determinant; factors like skill level, resources, and management practices are also crucial.
  • Sharing salary information might not always lead to increased trust; in some cases, it could create tension or dissatisfaction among employees who feel they are being underpaid.
  • The impact of trust on profit is complex and can be influenced by a variety of other factors, including market conditions, product quality, and competitive strategy.
  • The assertion that trust can lead to the retention of half of the workforce is a broad claim that may not apply universally across different industries and company cultures.
  • The metaphor of "The Golden Girls" may not resonate with or be applicable to all workplace ...

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The Seven Trust Languages for a Better Workplace with Minda Harts

Minda Harts' "Talk To Me Nice" and 7 Trust Languages

Minda Harts introduces a novel concept in her upcoming book "Talk to Me Nice," aiming to improve workplace dynamics through the understanding and application of "Trust Languages."

"Trust Languages" Framework For Improving Workplace Relationships

Minda Harts parallels the well-known "Love Languages" by crafting a unique framework to build trust in professional relationships. She has created languages to express what she needed from managers to feel seen and trusted, a concept she believes can rejuvenate workplace interactions and enhance respect and humanity, leading to less toxic environments.

The 7 Trust Languages Identified by Minda

Minda Harts identifies seven key "Trust Languages" as vital to cultivating workplace trust: Transparency, Follow-Through, Feedback, Security, Acknowledgment, Demonstration, and Sensitivity. For instance, she points out that sensitivity, especially regarding how colleagues may react to events like elections, is crucial in maintaining trust within a team. These languages are touchstones for respect, and employing them can prevent the erosion of trust that can occur rapidly within the workday.

Strategies For Applying the Trust Languages

Minda suggests that if managers want to help their team members excel, they need to understand and speak their key trust languages. Her strategies include approaching conversations with appreciation rather than defensiveness and rephrasing distrust as a request for what is needed, such as more feedback.

Leaders are encouraged to own the process of trust-building by admitting thei ...

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Minda Harts' "Talk To Me Nice" and 7 Trust Languages

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Counterarguments

  • The concept of "Trust Languages" may oversimplify complex workplace dynamics and individual differences in communication and trust-building.
  • While the framework is well-intentioned, it may not be universally applicable across different cultures, industries, or individual personalities.
  • The effectiveness of the "Trust Languages" may vary depending on the existing organizational culture and the willingness of all parties to embrace and practice these languages.
  • The idea of "Trust Languages" might be seen as a one-size-fits-all solution, which could overlook the need for tailored approaches to trust-building in diverse workplace environments.
  • Some may argue that the responsibility for building trust is placed too heavily on managers and leaders, without emphasizing the role of individual employees in contributing to a trustworthy environment.
  • The seven "Trust Languages" could be perceived as too prescriptive, potentially limiting the natural development of trust through more organ ...

Actionables

  • You can create a "trust journal" to reflect on daily interactions and identify which Trust Language you've experienced or missed. Each day, write down instances where you felt trust was either built or compromised in your interactions. Note which of the seven Trust Languages were present or absent, and consider how different approaches might have changed the outcome. For example, if a colleague followed through on a promise, jot down how that impacted your trust in them. Conversely, if you felt a lack of sensitivity in a discussion, record your feelings and brainstorm how sensitivity could have been better incorporated.
  • Develop a "trust action plan" for your next project or collaboration, focusing on integrating the Trust Languages into your approach. Before starting the project, outline specific actions you'll take to demonstrate each of the seven Trust Languages. For instance, you might commit to giving transparent updates on your progress, actively seeking and providing constructive feedback, and acknowledging the contributions of others. After the project, evaluate which actions were most effective and adjust your plan for future collaborations.
  • Start a peer feedback group with coll ...

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The Seven Trust Languages for a Better Workplace with Minda Harts

Building and Restoring Trust in the Workplace

Restoring trust in the workplace is crucial for a healthy and productive work environment. Minda Harts and Morgan Lavoie offer strategies to articulate needs, model trust-building behaviors, and foster a culture of open trust conversations.

Specific Feedback and Requests

Solution-Oriented, Framing Requests Positively and Non-confrontationally

Minda Harts emphasizes the importance of a solution-oriented approach when addressing trust issues. She suggests articulating specific needs, like a desire for more transparency, to let others know what constitutes a trustworthy environment. Harts recommends approaching conversations about trust positively, basing explanations on facts rather than feelings, and avoiding approaching managers with accusations. Instead, she advises crafting requests in a way that seeks partnership with managers to create a constructive dialogue.

For example, instead of defensively accusing a manager of not fostering trust, Harts advises asking for more of what one needs, such as feedback, framing it in a positive and non-confrontational manner that fosters collaboration rather than conflict.

Leaders Modeling Trust-Building Behaviors

Knowing Team Members, Self-Awareness, and Trust-Building Language

Minda Harts discusses the concept of self-awareness in leadership, highlighting leaders' responsibility to be reliable and transparent to contribute positively to the team's trust. She points to the need for leaders to understand the impact of their actions on others and calls for a personalized approach to management, where leaders get to know team members and their uniq ...

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Building and Restoring Trust in the Workplace

Additional Materials

Counterarguments

  • While articulating specific needs is important, it may not always be clear what those needs are, and employees may require guidance to identify and communicate them effectively.
  • A solution-oriented approach is valuable, but it's also important to acknowledge and validate feelings, as they can be a significant part of why trust was broken.
  • Positive framing is helpful, but there may be situations where more direct or critical feedback is necessary to address underlying issues.
  • Seeking partnership with managers is ideal, but power dynamics can sometimes make this challenging, and employees may not always feel safe to speak up.
  • Self-awareness in leaders is crucial, but achieving it can be difficult, and there may be blind spots that require external feedback or intervention.
  • Getting to know team members' unique needs is important, but leaders must balance this with maintaining professional boundaries and ensuring equitable treatment.
  • Empowering employees to articulate their needs is beneficial, but without proper support and a receptive environment, this can place undue burden on the employees to drive change.
  • Discussing trust languages is a novel approach, but it may not resonate with everyone and could be see ...

Actionables

  • You can create a "trust journal" to reflect on daily interactions and assess areas for improvement in trust-building. Each day, jot down instances where trust was either bolstered or weakened in your interactions. Note what actions led to these outcomes and brainstorm ways you could enhance trust in similar future situations. For example, if you noticed a colleague seemed hesitant to share information, consider how you might encourage more open communication next time, perhaps by sharing something about yourself first.
  • Develop a personal "trust action plan" that outlines specific behaviors you'll adopt to demonstrate reliability and transparency. This might include setting reminders to follow up on commitments, offering regular updates on your projects to colleagues, or asking for feedback on your communication style. By having a clear set of actions to follow, you can methodically work on becoming a more trustworthy individual within your team.
  • Initiate a peer-to-peer recognition progra ...

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