Trauma-Informed Organization: Building Trust/Rapport 

Posted on June 28, 2022

Building trust and rapport in the workplace is essential. Without it, communication, collaboration, conflict resolution and giving/accepting feedback become much more difficult. This is because a relationship has not been established.   

Some may underestimate the value in building workplace relationships. But there can be so many benefits to establishing these relationships. Imagine if everyone sat in a cubicle or office all day, every day, but you had little interaction with other employees, even one that might be right next to you. How much harder would it be to come together to brainstorm ideas for a project at your next meeting or communicate an issue that be needs to be addressed? The more we engage with our coworkers, the easier it becomes to build rapport and trusting relationships.  

When we have established trust with a coworker or supervisor, this can make it easier to confide in them when we may be struggling. It can be hard to leave our struggles at the door when we come to work, or to keep our own trauma we may have from colliding with the clients we work with. This is when having trust and rapport can be especially valuable—because we have someone we can talk to if we feel comfortable doing so.    

Small Ways to Build Trust and Rapport 

• Have lunch with someone new 
• Be yourself 
• Welcome new employees and learn from seasoned employees 
• Celebrate wins and teamwork 
• Small talk 
• Be supportive 
• Share goals