• Trust in the Workplace: Why It’s Important and How You Can Build It

    Date: 26.07.2011

    Most office employees are used to dealing in the realm of tangible metrics, such as revenue or units sold. That’s why it can be so difficult to cultivate less tangible but no less important workplace goals, such as a creating more trust in the office environment. However, according to leading experts on workplace dynamics and organizational effectiveness, trust can be one of the most important factors when it comes to determining outcomes like employee satisfaction and overall firm success.

    According to a study of a prominent international hotel chain that was published in the Harvard Business Review in September 2002, franchise locations with higher levels of trust in the workplace also consistently reported higher profits. In addition, other organizational benefits have been found to accrue from greater levels of trust in the workplace, including better strategy development and execution, improved crisis management, and diminished litigation costs.

    Looking for a few simple ways to boost trust levels in your workplace? Implement these tips from the experts.

    • Drop the blame game. When employees come to you with news of errors or mistakes, adopt a practical problem-solving mindset that demonstrates that you’re all in this together.
    • Ask for input from employees at all levels. When making important decisions, solicit advice from a cross-section of staff members.
    • Make an effort to task each worker with increasingly significant duties. From clerical workers to chief executives, we all like being challenged. Demonstrate your trust in employees by constantly ratcheting up the level of responsibility assigned to each worker.
    • Encourage employees to take positive risks. Show that you have faith in each staff member’s decision making ability by praising them when they successfully make an attempt to stretch outside their comfort zone or think outside the box.
    • Lavish praise and rewards on high-performing workers.  Nothing builds trust like knowing that the company appreciates a job well done.

    Though it can sometimes be a frustratingly intangible metric for level-headed business types, organizational trust is one of your company’s most valuable assets – don’t underestimate it!