Josephine Mukumbya has been appointed as the executive director of Agribusiness Development Centre (ADC); an entity which was founded by Rabo Foundation and dfcu Limted to specialise in capacity development of farmer based organisations through training, business mentorship and coaching, offering them the prospect of a sustainable future.
Mukumbya will be responsible for providing strategic leadership for growth of the overall organisation, its partners and the agribusinesses working with ADC.
She holds a Master’s Degree in Banking and Finance for Development from the Fondazione Giordano Dell ‘Amore in Italy and is a certified coach credentialed by the International Coach Federation as an Associate Certified Coach.
Mukumbya is an experienced professional in governance, risk management, business planning, financial portfolio management, capacity development, coaching and working cross culturally.
She has a proven track record of superior performance in five financial institutions, an International Development Agency and a multi- donor funded social enterprise in varied roles.
How trust enhances team performance
Building trust in the workplace contributes to more than just company culture it is a hard economic driver. Studies have shown that high-trust organisations are more likely to be high-performing revenue companies when compared to their low-trust counterparts.
It takes time to establish a high level of trust amongst employees, and even longer to fix a trust issue. Here is how you can help create a culture where employees feel safe, supported and respected, and in turn, respect and support you and the business.
Empower staff
Mutual trust and respect are built through reciprocity. Employees who feel trusted will trust you more. That is why it is important to empower your team by regularly giving away your authority. Delegate responsibilities to individuals and encourage a collective team decision-making process whenever possible.
Commit with actions
“Do what you say and say what you do.” Going back on your word is a sure-fire way to create doubt and break your team’s trust, fast. However, if you practice what you preach, employees will believe you are reliable and true to your word, and trust in your leadership. Building trust as a leader is done one step, one conversation and one action at a time.
Don’t make grand promises to employees in the hopes of pleasing or showing off to them as a way to build trust. Instead, focus on committing to key actions and delivering on them.
Encourage authentic communication
Even the best leaders fail. The difference between trustworthy leaders and others lies in their response to failure. If you try to hide mistakes from your team, they will feel like you do not trust them with important information or even worse, that you do not respect them enough to tell them the truth. Being authentic, vulnerable and transparent with your team helps build your credibility and humanises you. Own your mistakes and tackle difficult issues in a timely manner. Be clear on what went wrong, what could have been done better and highlight how you’ll improve next time.
Praise publicly, correct privately
An essential component of trust is a feeling of psychological safety. If your employees feel you will throw them under the bus or humiliate them in front of their peers, they will be less likely to trust you as a leader and might even lie to avoid getting caught out in the future. Commend employees on what they did well.
If a project did not go as planned and you are conducting a post-mortem, adopt a constructive approach problem-solving; “What can we do better next time?” Rather than pointing fingers at specific team members or resorting to blame. This fosters a feeling of support and trust in your team.
