The trust crisis in the workplace
February 26, 2013 Leave a comment
The trust crisis in the workplace
Ray Williams | Feb 25, 2013 5:16 PM ET
Recent polls would seem to indicate that people are becoming increasingly cynical about organizations and leaders.
A DDI International study of 57 organizations on the issue of trust in the workplace indicated respondents trusted their co-workers, but a majority mistrusted their leaders, and particularly senior leaders. The 2012 Edelman Trust Barometer reported that the majority of people distrusted government, financial institutions and business leaders — particularly CEOs.
The issue of trust in the workplace has been a topic of several management consultants and psychologists of late. Sydney Finkelstein, author of a groundbreaking book, The Five Dysfunctions of Teams, identified the lack of trust as a core reasons teams fail or a seriously dysfunctional.
Research by Finkelstein and others have shown trust can be quickly lost by the following behaviours:
- Acting and speaking inconsistently and dishonestly;
- Seeking personal gain over shared gain;
- Withholding information and resources;
- Being close-minded;
- Acting disrespectfully and uncivilly. In his book, The Trust Edge, David Horsager contends we are in a crisis, not because of our economic or environmental problems, but because of a lack of trust in our leaders. he points to eight pillars of trust company leaders need to have: clarity, compassion, character, complacency, commitment, connection, contribution and consistency. Horsager argues that “trust is not a soft skill,” but “ measureable competency that brings dramatic results,” by building it into an organization’s strategy, goals and culture. The bottom line for Horsager is that trust and not money is the currency of both business and life.
In Psychology Today, Nan Russell argues “a lack of self-trust can be the precursor of distrust of others. In an increasingly complex world, our ability to judge real or not real, scam or opportunity, credible or not credible, trust or no trust, is a 21st century necessity.”
I see this in my work with senior executives and business owners. When the issue of mistrust of others comes up, I invariably examine whether the individual is practicing some form of projection. Often the origin of the lack of trust is mistrust not of others but of themselves and their capacities and abilities.
Whatever the cause of the lack of trust in our organizations and leaders, the problem is significant and one that needs to be addressed to develop more confidence in our future.
Ray Williams is President of Ray Williams Associates, a company based in Vancouver, providing leadership training and executive coaching services. He can be reached at ray@raywilliamsassociates.com
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