During the “Leading Into The Future of Work” webinar presented by Adobe, panelists agreed on one key feature that leaders will need for a healthy workforce moving forward: more trust and flexibility.
The two go hand-in-hand, as workers who are trusted to work in flexible arrangements report higher levels of job satisfaction.
“Trust is so important for work and for performance because it’s really the glue that binds teams together,” said Tsedal Neeley, a business administration professor at Harvard Business School and panelist at the event.
Neeley highlights that there are two types of trust that leaders should establish with workers: cognitive and emotional.
Cognitive trust involves having an understanding that employees are reliable, while emotional trust is the understanding that leaders care for their workers.
In order to build this trust, leaders should set aside time to spend with employees, whether that is through team-building events or routine meetings.
Neeley adds that being clear about expectations and respecting healthy boundaries between work and personal life can help workers avoid burnout.
