The following are ways to create and preserve trusting
relationships in a trust promoting work environment:
- Hire and promote people, who are capable of
forming positive, trusting interpersonal relationshipswith
people who report to them, to supervisory positions. The supervisor's
relationship with reporting employees is the fundamental building block of
trust.
- Develop
the skills of all employees and especially those of current
supervisors and people desiringpromotion, in interpersonal
relationship building and effective interpersonal skills.
- Keep staff members truthfully informed.Provide
as much information as you can comfortably divulge as soon as possible in
any situation.
- Expect supervisors to act
withintegrityand keep commitments.If you cannot keep
a commitment, explain what is happening in the situation without delay.
Current behavior and actions are perceived by employees as the basis for
predicting future behavior. Supervisors who act as if they are worthy of
trust will more likely be followed with fewer complaints.
- Confront hard issues in a timely fashion.If
an employee has excessiveabsences
or spends work time wandering around, it is important to confront
the employee about these issues. Other employees will watch and trust you
more.
- Protect the interest of all employees in a work
group.Do not talk about absent employees, nor allow others to
place blame, call names, or point fingers. Employees learn to trust when
they know that their names are not being taken in vain.
- Display competence in supervisory and other work
tasks.Know what you are talking about, and if you don’t know —
admit it. Nothing builds trust more effectively than a manager saying that
he doesn't know and will find out so that everyone is informed. The worst
reaction occurs when a manager pretends to know and offers faulty
information. Employees forgive a lack of knowledge - they never forgive a
liar.
- Listen with respect and full attention.Exhibit
empathy and sensitivity to the needs of staff members. Trust grows out
ofthe belief that you understand and can relate.
- Take thoughtful risks to improve service and
products for the customer.When you demonstrate that risk-taking
is promoted, you demonstrate that employees may do the same - especially
if there are no consequences when a thoughtfully considered risk goes
awry. When consequences for risk-taking don't occur, trust is cemented.
- If you are a supervisor or a team member,set
high expectations and act as if you believe staff members are capableof
living up to them. This trust and support will draw forthyour
employees'best efforts and their trust in return.
The Human Resources professional
has a special role in promoting trust. So do line managers. You coach managers
and supervisors about all of the appropriate roles described above in building
trust relationships. You also influence the power
differentials within the organization by developing and publishing supportive,
protective, honorable policies. You are influential in building appropriate
social norms among people who are doing different jobs in your organization.
Engage in trust
building andteam building activitiesonly when there is a sincere
desire in your organization to create a trusting, empowering, team-oriented
work environment. Engaging in these activities for any but honorable reasons is
a travesty and a sham. People will know the difference, or they will find out,
and then, they will never trust you.