Building Trust on Slack
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Everyone – but leaders in particular – should be attentive to how they’re communicating via the written word. Slack and texting in general can easily lead to misunderstanding. “Thanks” is a lot different than “Thanks!”
That one exclamation point can make all the difference, making an employee feel either acknowledged or disregarded. It may take stepping out of one’s comfort zone to throw in an exclamation point here or a smiley face there, but the effort will be the difference between an engaged work culture and a disengaged one.
We rely on apps like Slack and other instant messaging platforms to communicate in the moment.
What’s crucial to remember, though, is that this comes with a different set of dos and donts. Just as we wouldn’t give a curt in-person “thanks” to a coworker who did a huge work favor for us, neither should we fall back on lazy communication when using e-communication.
It’s perhaps even easier to misconstrue and be misunderstood over IM apps like Slack. In fact, you have the ability to impact someone’s mood pretty quickly over IM apps. Emotions can spread like wildfire in an organization.
An angry boss or coworker can easily spread their anger to those with whom they work; they can also easily spread their positivity. Psychologists call this emotional contagion.
Because we are apt to be more curt or cursory via Slack and the like, it’s crucial to watch our tone; happiness and anger can spread easily.
In the absence of conventional nonverbal cues, we look for other sorts of cues (the emphases conveyed by boldface, italics, and CAPS, smiley faces, and punctuation marks!). Such cues can ignite an emotional response (negative and positive) just as surely as face-to-face human emotion can.
When your team is remote, building trust via apps like Slack is crucial for success.
The Science Behind Trust
Scientists believe that oxytocin, a neurotransmitter and hormone, is a major influence in promoting trust between two people. Whenever we feel safe around someone our oxytocin levels rise and the converse is true as well. Thus, the more we feel safe and the more positive interactions we have with another the more our brains produce oxytocin, which bolsters the trust factor.
Creating positive interactions and communication via Slack and other instant messaging platforms is an imperative for leaders who want their people to trust them.
When we feel safe and nurtured – this goes back to showing your vulnerability – more oxytocin is released, which supports our ability to trust others; and when we feel disregarded, unsafe, or disrespected, lower levels of oxytocin serve as a barrier for trust.
For leaders who may have had trouble building trust when we were all in the office together, communicating via platforms like Slack presents a great opportunity. If you aren’t naturally charismatic with voice and posture, you now have the chance to bolster your influence via text.
According to a study, “every virtual message either builds or breaks trust.” So think of each message as a deposit or withdrawal from your team’s trust account.
I recently asked Darja Gutnick, CEO of BUNCH – an AI leadership coach – to chime in on what tactics her users are finding most helpful to keep their balance healthy.
Be Vulnerable
Leaders who are comfortable with vulnerability are more likely to create psychologically safe work atmospheres where employees feel comfortable sharing their own vulnerability.
The best way to encourage vulnerability in your team is to lead by example. Some ways of doing this are:
- Admitting your mistakes in a ‘public’ channel.
- Asking for help when you’re struggling to show your team you want and need their support.
- Using weekly rituals such as a Monday kick-off call to ask everyone to share something they’re worried about this week.
Be Responsive
It’s hard to trust someone who ghosts you, so try not to leave messages hanging for too long. This doesn’t mean you need to be available 24/7. If you’re busy or away, let people know you’ll get back to them later or are unavailable.
Use your status and calendar to communicate when you’ll be away proactively.
It not only shows a modicum of respect, it allows for everyone to sleep easier. Think of how much closure we’re all waiting on from past unreturned emails and texts. We all know how it feels to wait for a response that never comes, particularly when you see the person online. A quick “Will respond later!” is an easy way to keep trust alive.
Show Your Personality
People trust others more when they have a personal relationship. So make sure it’s not “all business” on Slack. Use emoji reactions or GIFs to express your personality.
Try opening up channels for personal topics too, like a music channel, or a fun channel where you can share things that make you laugh.
Promoting laughter, as obvious as it may sound, is a surefire way to build trust and engagement. It takes a little effort to step outside of pure business mode, but doing so makes all the difference.
