In January 2023, Brittany Pietsch, a former Cloudflare employee, went viral on TikTok for filming her firing and posting it online. This trend of sharing job losses on social media is not just about anger and frustration but also reflects a broader trend of distrust in the workplace. Many employees feel disconnected from their leaders, teammates, and professional responsibilities, indicating a more permanent issue that companies must address. Leaders need to build trust within their teams by demonstrating consistency, vulnerability, active listening, clear communication, transparency, and inspiring confidence in the future. Trust is essential for employee performance, longevity, institutional knowledge, and risk management.
To foster curiosity and collaboration within teams, leaders can implement rules of engagement that allow all team members to contribute on an equal footing. Encouraging people to ask “why” or similar questions to understand root causes can deepen understanding and acceptance within teams. Individual attention and coaching are crucial for employees to feel connected at work. Managers need to prioritize one-on-one time with their employees to provide feedback on meeting participation, encourage active engagement, and teach new skills that enhance their work products. Creating a safe space where everyone feels empowered to contribute and valued is essential for fostering a positive work culture.
The recent TikTok trend highlights a lack of trust employees have in their leaders, indicating a deeper issue that needs to be addressed. Leadership is about fostering connections between team members, the organization, and its leaders. Building trust, fostering curiosity, providing individual attention and coaching, and creating a positive work culture are essential for leaders to ensure their teams thrive and succeed. Ultimately, the responsibility and accountability for building these connections lie with leaders, who must prioritize trust, engagement, and communication in order for their teams to grow and succeed.
