b"How Can Companies Improve This?Close the Gap Between Executives and Employees. Leadersmust recognize that their work experience is not the same astheir employees'. Open conversations, regular feedback loops,and leadership visibility can help bridge the divide.Always Be People-First. Mindset isnt something thats hard-wired within you. You have the power to change your mindsetover time and throughout various situations. As a leader, yourmindset influences the tone for the team and the culturearound you. To build trust, adopt and maintain a mindsetthats people-first. Listen to learn, avoid assumptions, and givemore than you take.Schedule Time to Build Relationships. Relationships areconstantly evolving and can never be checked off your to-dolist. They need to be a recurring event on your calendar. Partof growing relationships is treating people how they want tobe treated, not how you think they want to be treated. Use arelationship-building tool like the Growth Guide to provideinsight into each persons unique workstyle, communicationpreferences, and needs from you as their manager.Solicit Feedback. Although it can be disheartening to receivenegative feedback, feedback is essential. Set aside time forregular check-ins to gain a greater understanding of howpeople are feeling. These shouldnt be formal, but ratherinformal opportunities for employees to share their thoughts.Once information is fully shared, ask for thoughts andsuggestions for improvement, and make sure to take action onwhat you learned.Lean on Your Core Values. Your core values are your northstar. They describe how your team treats each other, workstogether, communicates, and completes assigned duties.Demonstrating them in all that you do is one of the strongestways to build trust and promote follow-through across yourorganization.41 ENGAGE 2025"