Trust is the tie that binds

With new generations taking increasingly important roles in today’s organisations, ensuring that people of different generations work together efficiently and seamlessly is a big challenge for management executives and department heads.
I believe that many CEOs have faced the problem of DNA mismatch, which usually happens when new talent is brought in from another organisation.
AP’s corporate team is populated with company veterans, but even so, there have been times when ideas and initiatives have been blocked or shot down at meetings simply because team members lacked confidence in each other’s ideas. I see this as a worrying sign. The road ahead promises to be a tough one for businesses, thanks to ever-increasing competition to cater to customers who are constantly on the lookout for new innovations to make their life easier and more comfortable. This is especially true in the property business, which revolves around how people live. Mutual trust is the only thing that can ensure the creation of new innovations, which is the key to success in this competitive climate.
At AP, we make trust the foundation of our organisational culture as we work to foster a shared goal - to deliver quality homes to our customers - among a multigenerational workforce of over a thousand people from different backgrounds.
But how do you build trust?
I’m willing to bet that when investing in a big purchase, such as a home or a piece of real estate, one of your decision criteria is that you have trust in the developer company, the brand, the company’s safety and quality track record, and so on.
Building trust is just like building a house: every component must be interconnected. And as the saying goes, when you are in the same boat, you must all pitch in to make sure it reaches the destination. The person at the helm has the most crucial role, and if he or she is unable to steer the ship or appears ready to jump ship at any moment, the crew won’t stick around for long. Like a boat’s captain, the CEO or division head must foster faith and confidence in those who work under them that they will lead the organisation or division to sustainable progress.
Trust is an abstract concept and building it can seem a tough challenge. To give you a clearer picture of how this can be done, let me share with you how we do it.
At AP, trust occurs when employees understand and accept each other’s differences and have the courage to speak their minds on big issues that will benefit from information sharing, even if their ideas do not agree with those of others. Everyone must take responsibility for their own words, keep promises and be accountable when they make mistakes.
All of our people are expected to make every effort for the success of the work and are encouraged to do what needs to be done rather than wait around for permission to act. Additionally, cooperation is expected when mutual effort is required to solve a problem. This requires a willingness to pitch in and courage to ask for help when help is needed, overcoming personal pride for the sake of organisational goals.
Last but not least, everyone must put aside thoughts about overstepping boundaries and stop taking things personally when giving or taking advice, because the important thing is that we win together as a company.
When members of the organisation trust one another, have faith in their leader and understand the organisation’s principles and approaches, fostering cooperation becomes easier and work progresses faster as a result. And when all are committed to the same goals, new innovations will flow easily and mutual success will be guaranteed.