| The other day I had some new office furniture | | | | manager working to gain the trust of your |
| delivered. The very professional and efficient | | | | workers, please keep in mind that it's harder than |
| delivery person took my payment, and when he | | | | ever before. However, there are a few things |
| saw the name of my business on the check, he | | | | you can do to increase the levels of trust within |
| asked what the Management Education Group did. | | | | your organization:1. Tell the truth. If you don't tell it |
| I told him that I coach and teach managers to be | | | | like it is, you risk appearing evasive. Evasiveness is |
| more effective as leaders. The delivery person | | | | the leading cause of mistrust. Even if it's bad |
| quickly replied, "So, you teach them to lie to | | | | news, don't beat around the bush or sugar coat |
| us?"Since the delivery person seemed to be such | | | | the truth. Just tell it like it is.2. Give constant |
| a positive and enthusiastic person, I was taken | | | | feedback. One way to ensure that your |
| aback by his comments. It made me wonder if | | | | employees don't trust you is to say nothing at all. |
| employees in general feel this way about their | | | | When you don't share your thoughts and feelings, |
| managers or if this was an isolated case. After | | | | they will substitute their own ideas for yours. And, |
| some thought, I realized that it's no wonder in | | | | those thoughts and feelings may or not be what |
| today's business environment that employees are | | | | you are really thinking. The more feedback and |
| not manager's biggest fans. In fact, managers | | | | information you can share, the more likely they |
| have been battling an "us vs. them" attitude for | | | | are to believe what you have to say.3. Be aware |
| years.While the sentiment probably began eons | | | | of your impact. So many managers are absorbed |
| ago, our earliest recollections are from the late | | | | with the tasks they have to perform that they |
| 1800s, when factories exploited children and | | | | forget the impact they can have on others. The |
| workers operated in unsafe conditions. There's no | | | | more aware you are of your own behavior and |
| doubt that workers back then did not trust their | | | | how it impacts others, the more likely you are to |
| management.Personally, my first recollection of | | | | project trustworthiness.Do you lie to your |
| being mistrustful of leaders coincided with the | | | | employees? Of course you don't. However, they |
| Watergate scandal. I learned from the television | | | | may perceive lies if you are not working to clarify |
| that all leaders are not 'good guys' and that | | | | the truth.Marnie Green, Chandler, AZ, USAMarnie |
| sometimes they lie to us. While Nixon was not my | | | | E. Green is Principal Consultant of the |
| boss, he was in charge of my country. If I | | | | Arizona-based Management Education Group, Inc. |
| couldn't trust him, who could I trust?Now, with the | | | | She is the author of Painless Performance |
| rash of corporate scandals--Enron, Worldcomm, | | | | Evaluations: A Practical Approach to Managing Day |
| and others-more and more workers are being | | | | to Day Employee Performance (Pearson/Prentice |
| convinced that those in leadership positions have | | | | Hall). Green is a speaker, author, and consultant |
| likely lied to get where they are. And, while there | | | | who helps organizations develop leaders today for |
| are surely more honest leaders in the world than | | | | the workforce of tomorrow. Contact Green at |
| there are liars, it's easy to see why workers | | | | offer this article on a nonexclusive basis. |
| aren't sure who to trust these days.If you are a | | | | |