Christian Spohr is a former frogman and current CEO of security company Eagle Shark Group. We talk to Christian about how trust and fruitful collaboration can best be built and how having strong trust affects a team. Vulnerability is one of the main focal points of the episode.
Trust and vulnerability
For Christian, trust and vulnerability go hand in hand. He says you have to show your vulnerability before you can build trust with another person. But how to establish trust in a colleague at work? There are two different paths you can take, according to Christian. The first is to hire consultants from outside, and the second method is to show colleagues your vulnerabilities and be honest. You have to show who you are – including your weaknesses, because no one is perfect. It can be scary to show your weaker sides to another person, but it can also help facilitate trust. We see a lack of vulnerability in situations in the workplace where employees do not dare to ask for help because they are afraid to show their incompleteness.
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The question: "Can you train yourself to be more vulnerable?" is asked, and Christian is of the opinion that you can. He encourages people to tell a secret about themselves because it connects people to you and it's perceived as something positive. Plus, it shows people that you are a human being with feelings. Of course, you need to sort out the information you tell people and you need to set boundaries. Not everyone needs to know everything about you, but if you work in a team, it's a good way to build trust.
According to Christian, you can give good and honest feedback in a team even if there isn't full trust, but it's difficult. The most important thing about feedback is the improvement points, because that's where you develop and that's what you need to work on.
In conclusion, you should dare to show your vulnerability because it builds trust with other people. Be yourself and be honest. Remember: NO ONE is perfect.
If you want to hear more about trust and collaboration from Christian Spohr, click here.
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