How to build trust and respect

‘Trust’ and ‘respect’ underpin all good relationships, including the relationships that you build as a researcher. Building trust and respect can take a lot of time and effort but it has far-reaching benefits for you and your colleagues.

The following suggestions are adapted from the ESRC Researcher Development Initiative, 2008. They provide some starting-points for reflection on good practice.

Key principles

1. Get to know your colleagues

• make time to talk to colleagues about their research and their life outside work
• try to understand what they think and why. Value their viewpoint even if it is different from your own.

2. Complete tasks and projects successfully

• work together on easy tasks first if you can
• be reliable. Always do what you say you are going to do.

3. Communicate openly and honestly

• discuss issues as soon as they arise
• don’t blame others
• try and suggest a solution or remedy if something has gone wrong
• if you don’t have a solution, be willing to ask for help.

4. Include colleagues in decision-making

• if people participate in decision-making they are more likely to support the decision
• keep colleagues informed of progress once decisions have been taken.

5. Make use of your colleagues’ expertise

• recognise your colleagues’ strengths and get them involved in your research where possible. This demonstrates and builds respect.

6. Be altruistic

• recognise what is important to your colleagues
• help them achieve their aims.

7. Meet ‘face to face’

• email and telephone have limitations as you do not have ‘body language’ to help you contextualise the words.