The Magic of Trust in the Employee Experience

“Give people guidance about what you want to achieve as a team, and then let them go. That’s when magic happens. Because you’ve given them trust and the feeling of ‘You can do that, I believe in you.’”

Alexander Senn is Head of People and Organization at Siemens Smart Infrastructure. He leads the 70,000 employees that are part of the Smart Infrastructure family. In this episode, Alex talks about the benefits of replacing performance reviews with growth talks, how to handle being challenged by an employee, and the importance of a trusting culture at work.

“The best ideas are out of a discussion of a diverse group. It may be difficult for me sometimes, because it’s not always my idea. And to be really honest with you, I love when my idea is perceived as the best and we go that direction. Everyone loves that. But you need to learn as a leader, it’s not always the best idea. The best ideas always come out of a team discussion.”

• How to handle a cultural change at your company
• The benefits of implementing growth talks
• Why it’s important to challenge the status quo

“Sometimes we don’t have enough opportunities for young talented people. Because when someone is at the top of their career, they don’t want to move. But I think we need to learn to step back and make room for talent. It’s good to have someone taking over, bringing in some new ideas and creating a different dynamic. So we need to establish a culture of movement within the company.”