Building trust in your organisation
In most organisations, however, trust is still a rare commodity. It is much easier to create an environment of distrust than one in which trust flourishes. Building trust takes years – and even then it may be lost completely within a few seconds.
Therefore, you should assess your organisational culture on a regular basis, according to an article on the management-issues.com website, originally published by the INSEAD business school. Improve trust by fostering the following foundations:
Common goals
Employees should know the purpose that drives the company. They need to be inspired by company values and they should internalise these. However, employees are often only poorly informed about company goals and the intentions of top management. Your company should have a mission that resonates with the staff – and the staff must know what that mission is.
Humility of leaders
Are your senior leaders able to admit that sometimes they just don’t know? A culture of dialogue and accountability is fostered, and trust improves, when senior leaders:
- are willing to show their vulnerabilities
- acknowledge their own mistake when they make one
Credibility of leaders
Leaders in your organisation, especially those at the top level, must be credible. They have to act on their own words. If they speak about the importance of development, they should develop their staff. There will be no trust if leaders fail to keep their promises. After all, actions speak louder than words.
-jk-