If you wanted any superpower for your company, what would it be?

First you can think of one strong management teama leading technology or product, or, of course, endless profit. All of these factors are important, but what about your employees and your organization's culture?

Employees distinguish between companies that do great things for a long time and those that fall short. Fostering a culture where employees care about and trust each other can be the ultimate superpower and one of the most valuable investments you can make. Especially when it comes to long-term business growth.

However, the only way to create one the foundation of faith is to spend time together. It makes it easier to communicate openly and deal with any conflict. Plus, it boosts employee morale and productivity. When trust and caring are involved, people are more motivated to do their best work and improve relationships.

Related: How being a more generous leader fueled my company's success

Trust allows for more effective feedback and delegation

Connecting with and trusting your colleagues paves the way for more transparent communication and feedback – the foundation for any successful team.

It all depends on your trust and relationship with that person. or high trust environment it creates a more open, high-bandwidth environment that allows you to progress faster through difficult problems.

When it comes to transparent communication, a connection-first culture leaves room for more transparent conversations across the organization that cover the good and the bad. We have an “open book” approach at Wistia, where we share everything from finance to business lessons in regular everyone's meetings. This creates a more connected workplace where trust is at the forefront because everyone knows the agenda in advance and is working from the most accurate information.

This brings me to delegation. If you can't delegate, you can't scale, and trust is a key driver of this.

I'll be honest – I've struggled with delegation. I thought it was a productivity issue, but it turns out I wasn't using my resources and team to their full advantage. I was tired, in meetings all day and things weren't getting done. It was affecting me and the company. I had to make a change.

Once I stepped away and trusted others to take on some of my tasks, it was an instant game changer. Delegation allowed me to conserve energy and time to focus on parts of the business where I could add unique value and make the biggest impact. This also empowered other team members to step up and take on more.

I've learned that if you can find someone who can do something 80% as well as you, you should delegate it. Ideally, you're finding people who are better than you at what you're delegating. This is where team growth really drives company growth.

I had to trust others to take more ownership. One person cannot do it all. Encourage teams to act quickly, gather feedback from customers, and keep moving forward with confidence.

Building trust through connection

Building trust in every company will look different. And it's a long game. At Wistia, as a distance-first company, we strive to find fun and easy ways to get to know each other better while being intentional about in-person time. This means reserving in-person meetings for community building and problem solving.

However, these meetings shouldn't just be centered around work-related discussions or just happen to check a box. They are opportunities for real human connection and collaboration outside the typical work context. They should also feel organic and not like a chore.

Host fun and unique company venues that offer new experiences for employees to connect or encourage smaller gatherings hosted by team leaders. Everything from adventurous outdoor activities like hiking to more relaxed settings like cooking classes are fair game. It is also important to ensure that the organization's leadership team participates in these activities. This strengthens camaraderie and team dynamics, while laying the groundwork for a strong and lasting culture of trust that carries over into virtual communication channels like Slack.

The fun doesn't have to stop with personal gatherings. While some in-person activities don't translate well online, at Wistia, we've found ways to create engaging virtual experience. From digital gaming tournaments to virtual mini golf and online fitness vacations, there are plenty of opportunities for coworkers to get creative, bond over shared interests, or try something new, all in the spirit of having a good time. These activities help us stay connected and build a tight-knit community over time, even remotely.

Building a culture of connection requires a constant buzz to do the right things keep the faith. It doesn't happen overnight, but it pays off in the long run if you're committed. If you're a startup looking to scale effectively, I highly recommend adding this superpower. It can mean the difference between lasting success and failure as a company.