Many of us work partially or completely virtually and have adapted well to this environment. As we navigate a virtual work world, we realize we have taken many things for granted. Discover ways to build trust in your virtual work-life balance.

More than four decades of research has unequivocally shown that trust in teams is vital for the effective functioning of work relationships. Trust becomes become especially relevant in environments where there’s a need for high interdependence, close cooperation, teamwork, and flexibility – which are some of the primary characteristics of virtual environments. So, how do you increase trust? Is it a skill that can be learned?

Over the past few decades, research has shown that trustworthiness depends on the others’ perception that the leader is competent, has integrity, and puts others’ interest above their own (Stedham & Skaar, 2019). Let’s learn more about each of these categories and how they relate to mindfulness practice.

I’m in the process of completing my research for my doctorate in organizational psychology. This research involves interviews with women executives in large U. S. organizations. As I begin to analyze these very honest, insightful interviews, one word keeps coming up — one word that is critical to being an effective leader.