Some Need Guidance in Engendering Trust

Why is it all too common for new organizational initiatives to be greeted with skepticism, or for new programs, even those that are designed to benefit employees, to be received with cynicism?

What has happened to trust?

Regrettably, downsizing and re-engineering have left scar tissue. Frequent reorganizations have created significant employee anxiety. Add to this mix intolerance, ordinary mistakes and the interaction of some ill-advised managerial and employee decisions and it is no wonder that organizational trust has suffered.

Yet with ever-increasing performance expectations, trust is more important than ever.

Trust, commitment and performance are directly related. Trust is a requirement for leadership. Trust affects how we work.

Clearly, trust is earned. Our level of trust is based upon our experience. And unfortunately, trust is as fragile as it is valuable. It can be damaged, if not destroyed, in an instant, whether by real action, rumor, thoughtlessness or bad judgment.

When we trust, we are willing to take risks. We open up and are more comfortable giving and receiving work. But with distrust comes micro-managing, resistance and a focus on individual gains instead of organizational success.

Trust allows meaningful relationships to develop and enables individual effort to evolve into cooperation. And if trust continues to develop, cooperation can be transformed into high-performing teamwork.

Yet in these times of accelerating change, individual and organizational trust is increasingly tested. Surprises are frequent and are now the norm. Increasing, if not simply maintaining, trust is a huge challenge.

So what can we do? Here are some ideas:

*Tolerance is vital. Despite the pressures of increasing workloads and the need to get our work done faster and better, patience and compassion are key for employee and organizational success. We all have our little idiosyncrasies. We all make mistakes. When a mistake occurs, don’t jump to the conclusion that it was done on purpose or reflects a lack of caring. Success is not just meeting deadlines and getting things done. It also involves understanding and respect.

*Honesty is the best policy. Nothing kills trust faster than an untruth, and untruths come in different forms. We see them when facts are shaded, if not distorted. We observe them when relevant information is withheld. They occur when a set of facts are described differently depending on the audience. And there is the flat-out lie. We are only as good as our word. Tell the full truth.

*Be fair. Unfairness, perceived or real, can kill trust. Use facts and avoid prejudices. Take time to assess your objectivity in making decisions as well as any filtering of the “facts” being used. Communicate not only the decision but also how it was made. And when having difficulties with one person, avoid attributing this problem to others. For example, when one employee tries to do just the minimum, other employees should not be treated as if guilty of the same problem.

*Communicate openly. We need to trust if we are to be trusted. Some managers treat their employees like children, not sharing information in the belief that employees are better off not knowing. Share information and avoid being a paternalistic manager. Open communication demonstrates trust. Seek opportunities to keep employees informed as well as making yourself accessible. Clearly, information voids are breeding grounds for false rumors that can damage trust.

*Keep promises. How can trust be sustained if promises are not kept? Keeping promises goes hand in hand with trust, respect and integrity. And if you make a commitment to keep a private confidence, make sure you honor that promise.

The behaviors needed to build trust are nothing new. We have heard them since we were very young. “Be honest.” “Keep promises.” “Be fair.” And they are not complex. The basis for building trust can be boiled down to having heart and following the Golden Rule--that is, treating others the way we wish to be treated.

Clearly, the difficult part is in the doing. Yet if we are to have meaningful relationships, if we are to experience the joys of true teamwork and if we are to achieve the possible, if not the improbable, we must commit ourselves to building and sustaining trust.

This is not a momentary campaign. Building trust is a vital, lifelong priority. And it takes awhile, particularly if distrust exists.

It is time we take a stand on the importance of trust. It has suffered enough.

Gary Izumo is a professor in the Moorpark College business department and has managed his own consulting practice. He is a former McKinsey & Co. consultant and practice leader for the Strategic Management Consulting Practice of Price Waterhouse. You can e-mail him at gizumo@vcccd.net.