| This article will discuss the challenges faced by | | | | stuck wondering, "Am I next?" This has an even |
| organizations around earning, developing, and retaining | | | | more devastating effect on the younger and newer |
| employee trust. Specifically, special emphasis on how | | | | employees who recently watched top-level |
| and why companies must develop trust within their | | | | management get terminated or laid off after they |
| workforce. Next, I will discuss the implication that can | | | | have been loyal and served the corporation for many |
| and will be faced by organizations if they do not | | | | years. This sends the message that loyalty does not |
| develop trust within their workforce. Additionally, I will | | | | exist in companies any more, and when the economy |
| offer suggestions for how to build trust in | | | | improves, these employees will likely seek |
| organizations. | | | | employment where they feel more secure. |
| Since managers are initiators of trust, the target | | | | Other unseen costs of mistrust in the workplace |
| audience of this paper will be management at all | | | | include: no company loyalty, decreased commitment, |
| levels of a company. It is essential that management | | | | and higher employee turnover. Distrustful employees |
| understand the value of trust and how to promote | | | | are not as productive. Likewise, mistrusting |
| trust in their organizations. Competence, integrity and | | | | management wastes time checking up on employees. |
| employee rapport are a few factors that determine | | | | Therefore, it is imperative companies work to build |
| organizational trust. However, the elusive nature of | | | | trust in their organizations. |
| trust makes it one of the most difficult | | | | How do you build trust? Trust is earned when |
| characteristics to maintain. Management needs | | | | everyone's interests are considered and respected. |
| employees to feel that they are valued, trusted, and | | | | Communication is the key to do this. Following is a list |
| have them believe that the company is acting with | | | | of suggestions for building and maintaining trust. |
| integrity in their best welfare. In a recent survey, | | | | Building Trust:o Ensure open communication.o Tell the |
| conducted by Watson Wyatt, they surveyed 13,000 | | | | truth.o Share good and bad information between all |
| people in varied job levels and industries. The study | | | | levels of the organization.o Encourage creativity.o |
| revealed that fewer that two out of five employees | | | | Foster talent.o Allow disagreement without negative |
| today have trust or confidence in their senior leaders | | | | repercussions.o Maintain integrity.o Make decisions |
| (Caudreon). These results show that there is room | | | | that are fair and consistent. |
| for improvement, in the development of trust within | | | | Maintaining trust:o Reward value added activity.o |
| organizations. | | | | Managers should say what they will do, and do what |
| Recent events in the business world have made it | | | | they say they will do, in a nice manner, and be |
| more difficult for companies to maintain trust. The | | | | consistent.o Reward pro trust behaviors.o Punish |
| Author Anderson accounting scandals, Tyco, World | | | | breaches of trust. |
| Com., and Enron are just a few of the recent | | | | Earning trusto Be honest.o Management embracing |
| scandals. Also the intractable conflict in the Middle | | | | change.o Lead by example.o Management visible to all |
| East, September 11, and the abuse of children by | | | | levels of the company.o Improve training.o |
| Catholic priests have also contributed to the lack of | | | | Communication in as far advance as possible.o Try |
| peoples trust (Chen 1). This leaves a workforce with | | | | Workforce Reduction alternatives; such as,o |
| a very cynical view of management based on their | | | | voluntary severance,o and early retirement. |
| observations that management has often laid ethics | | | | In the end, organizations cannot earn, develop or |
| aside in order to benefit the bottom line. Even in | | | | retain employee trust; only people can. Trust is an |
| companies that have a clean record, it is the small | | | | interpersonal experience, while organizations can |
| things that are chipping away at the trust, such as | | | | define polices and practices that promote trust; it is |
| management saying one thing and doing another, | | | | the behaviors of individuals, especially leaders that |
| forgetting promises, and generating confusion | | | | determines the level of trust in an organization. Being |
| (Caudreon 2) | | | | honest is the easiest way to prevent loss of trust. If |
| Economic factors, resulting in layoffs have caused | | | | you don't know the answer, say so. If you have a |
| loss of trust in many individuals. This in turn has been | | | | tough question, ask it. If you say you're going to do |
| the cause of poor morale and reduced company | | | | something, do it, or provide an update as to why the |
| loyalty. Downsizing has the same effect on | | | | schedule has changed. It is the little things, which add |
| employees especially if it is not handled properly or | | | | up, that help earn and maintain trust within |
| mis-communicated. The remaining employees are | | | | organizations. |