Q: I don’t trust my manager. What can I do? What should I do?
A: Your first response may be to dig into why YOU don’t trust your manager. However, the answer to your question may emerge when you ask and answer the following questions:
- Do you like/respect your manager: Yes/no?
- If no, what do you say or do to convey how you feel?
- Does your manager get the message that you sent: Yes/no?
- If yes, what is the effect on you?
- Has your manager given you specific direction or feedback?
- Have you followed the feedback exactly as offered: Yes/no?
- If no, why not?
- If yes, what is missing or incomplete?
- From your manager’s perspective, are you trustworthy?
What should you do? Be alert. You may be creating or slipping into a toxic relationship. It’s important to ask: What are the ways that you can be productive and meet your manager’s expectation without the need for trust?
Remember: You can quickly detect trustworthiness in someone but you may think that you are masterful concealing how you feel. Not!
Instead of focusing on your feelings, ask: does the person do what say they are going to do when they say they are going to do it? Remember that trustworthiness is observable and works both ways. Be sure your manager can trust you.
Need inspiration?
A man [woman] that trusts nobody is apt to be the kind of man [woman] that nobody trust ~ Harold MacMillan, Prime Minister of United Kingdom