RSS feedsBuilding and maintaining trust should be high on the agendas of managing partners, because it underpins issues as diverse as client loyalty, financial management, innovation and leadership, as well as affecting job satisfaction and motivation.
One of the current concerns in many businesses is the availability of talent and attracting top staff is, in part, dependent on organisational culture. An environment of trust is a plus. Who would choose to work in a distrustful culture with all the stresses and problems that that brings? The best people can choose where they want to work.
When you pull apart the elements that make the culture untrusting there are some instantly recognisable issues.
A leader who people believe acts more for their own personal gain than for the greater good will never be able to create a trusting culture. Ask the people who work for them and they can usually tell you a lot about the leader and what is important to them and what they expect from others.
Cynical attitude
Cynicism is a symptom of mistrust. In business, it is almost expected and a lack of cynicism is often perceived as weakness or foolishness. But it also closes off possibilities and can damage organisations because its underlying attitude is one of 'I don't believe this, it will never work'.
Where there is growing distrust there are also extreme examples of an irrational desire to trust blindly. People are hired on the basis of a few hours of interviews and, as is often the case in senior appointments, a hope that they will single-handedly be able to change or rescue situations that others have been unable to resolve.
Low-trust cultures are characterised by fear of the boss and of making a mistake. The sort of behaviour that you see in such cultures is caution, risk avoidance and an unwillingness to challenge authority.
Spin out of control
When 'spin' occurs in organisations it is a sign of a lack of openness and transparency. When messages are 'managed' carefully, people become suspicious of what is really going on.
These factors are mutually reinforcing. Trying to address one of them by focusing on a particular intervention will not work because trust is systemic in nature.
There are several characteristics that we have identified as ones that are present in a culture of trust. These characteristics interact with each other to create an environment where, for the most part, people trust and are trusted.
Trust is such a deeply held value of the leader and is so ingrained in the culture that there is no need to focus on it explicitly.
Organisations often get this the wrong way round. They start by writing down the values that they want instead of the values that they have. When it comes to building trust, it only ever happens if you mean it.
Creating a high-trust culture
• Shared values
Values-led organisations are those that create trusting cultures. Integrity and
honesty are the essential values without which trust cannot exist.
• A shared mission or goal
People need to be pulling in the same direction and to have a commitment to
goals beyond just their own.
• Open and authentic leadership
The leader sets the tone. People pick up on the leader’s values and motivations
whether or not they are explicitly stated. It is not possible to create a
culture of trust if the leader is not trusted and does not trust others.
• Consensus, not force
To coerce someone implies that unless you exert that pressure they won’t fulfil
a commitment or do the right thing. Trusting cultures are ones where people do
things willingly.
• An atmosphere of enjoyment and fun
Innovative companies have shown that the most productive environments are ones
where people can have fun ¬ they are less afraid of making mistakes so will try
out new ideas.
• A desire to learn not blame
In a culture of blame, people cannot trust others and be open. If people detect
even a hint that someone will be blamed for something going wrong, trust is
destroyed.
• Honesty and authentic conversations Without this there will always be a holding back of information and misunderstandings.
Sally Bibb is an author and freelance consultant
