Building Trust From The Top Down

Say what you mean, and do what you say! Trust fritters and dies two ways. First, when people aren’t candid with one another. They sugarcoat tough messages. They use jargon and baloney to purposely make matters obscure and, therefore, themselves less accountable.

The only way to get candor into an organization is for the bosses to identify it as a top value, consistently demonstrate it themselves, and reward those who follow their lead. The second trust killer is when people say one thing and do another.

Again, bosses are the main culprits. They tell people to take risks but excoriate them when they fail. They endorse stretch budgets and invite their people to dream big, but punish them if the numbers fall short, even at the end of a decent year. They proclaim a commitment to customer service, but let the factory ship less-than-perfect product to make the month’s sales quota. Or perhaps worst of all, they espouse the company’s values at the top of their lungs, but keep and reward people who don’t live those values simply because they make the numbers.

All that tells the organization is, nothing I say means anything. Or put another way; don’t trust me. Trust, ultimately, isn’t very complicated. It’s earned through words and actions – and integrity in both.

source : Winning – The Answers : Jack & Suzie Welch