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