I’m not sure I trust one of my team, what can I do?
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One of the trickiest situations any manager can encounter is a team member whose integrity seems questionable. Keeping a level head, making sure it isn’t simply a matter of different values or perspectives is key . Feeling you can’t trust a team member can also make you feel less like you want to support their development and give them more responsibility and challenge – it is best to try to handle the situation. Here are some steps to help you remain objective and navigate this situation if ever it occurs.
What has happened to make you question their trustworthiness? If they have done something concrete, such as sharing confidential information without permission, and you have evidence of this, you can tackle their behaviour by initiating a formal performance review, re-establishing boundaries and expectations, using formal disciplinary measures if required. Any situation is always easier to handle when we have facts to hand but what if you don’t, can you establish what the facts are? Be careful to ensure you remain objective, don’t only collect facts which reinforce your fears or prejudices!
What if your concerns are less concrete? Perhaps there is something in their manner towards you that is causing you concern, or you have the feeling they like to criticise or undermine you behind your back to others. What can you do then?
Are their values similar to yours? If not, is it this which is causing you concern? For example, some people love to gossip and see no harm in it whilst others think such behaviour promotes disharmony and damages relationships. Stopping someone from gossiping – unless you can prove harm – is probably nigh on impossible. So, recalibrating your expectations of them and being careful what information or thoughts you share in public is probably the best strategy.
What is your day to day relationship with them like?We hear a lot about the ‘psychological’ relationship at work – what’s yours with them? Use the next appraisal or 121 discussion to discuss what their expectations are; of their job, you as their manager, and the organisation. Do their expectations align with yours, particularly where your role as their manager is concerned? If not, use this time to address both their expectations and needs as well as your own and agree both performance and behavioural standards that meet organisational requirements and job requirements. Then hold them to account.
What about the other team members? Do you accept behaviours from them that actually are very similar to those you object to in this one team member? In other words, are you unconsciously showing favouritism? If so, reset the bar regarding behaviours and performance standards with the whole team.
Are passive aggressive behaviours behind your sense of unease? For example, they may agree with you in public about an approach to a problem only to distance themselves from that approach behind your back. Alternatively, they may agree to deliver a piece of work by a certain time yet somehow there is always some reason why it is never delivered which is never their fault. Their agenda is personal. Either they don’t want to conform and only their own ideas or solutions will ever be acceptable, or their own sense of self-worth is tied up in seeing all management as incompetent.
With such people, it is best to remain detached and true to yourself:
- If possible discuss deliverables with the whole team asking each member to choose the goal they are willing to be accountable for thereby making public each team members contribution. This will mean you are not the only one they will let down if they renege on their commitment
- Ensure team meetings are regular and you share information, news, and discuss work issues openly reducing the opportunity for your words to be reinterpreted or misunderstood
- Keep objectives and performance standards concrete and measurable so that arguments around interpretation are minimal and hold them to account. For example, most appraisal schemes will ask for objectives to be outlined and both manager and employee to sign to say the contents were agreed
- Finally, be sure not to share confidential information with them and don’t allow yourself to be overheard
Fearing a team member is untrustworthy is a very stressful situation for any manager to cope with. Making sure your fears are unfounded is the first step, as your perspective may be at fault. If it isn’t, remain calm and professional, ensure performance standards and deliverables are clearly outlined and measurable and your team member meets these professional standards.