Page 214 - Build a Culture of Employee Engagement with the Principles

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Trust

do not spend time worrying and theorizing about how others’
actions might prove detrimental to them. When people distrust
one another, they are always asking themselves, “What is he up
to now?” Distrust occupies lots of mental real estate better used
on productive rather than paranoid thinking.
Of all the RESPECT drivers, none saves as much time as
trust. I have seen supervisors who so distrusted their employ-
ees that they spent the entire day looking over their shoulders.
Not only is micromanagement a complete waste of a supervisor’s
time, but it actively suppresses the productivity of the employ-
ees. Trust also saves time by significantly speeding up difficult
conversations; trust allows us to cut through a lot of the pleas-
antries and get to the point. For example, if we have a trusting
relationship, we can have a frank conversation and you will be
able to trust that what I am saying is true and intended to help,
not hurt, you.
Trusting others facilitates productivity by reducing resistance
to change. Especially during times of significant organizational
change, such as downsizing, restructuring, merger and acquisi-
tion, and sweeping changes in technology, processes, practices,
or policies, the extent to which employees trust their supervi-
sor and upper management is a critical determinant of the suc-
cess of the change effort. Trust acts as a lens that significantly
impacts how employees view the decisions of management. The
“trust lens” leads people to assume the best, while those view-
ing situations through the “distrust lens” assume the worst.
People resist change primarily because they fear the potential
adverse impact on their job. When we trust those implementing
the change, we are much less resistant. If you’re going through
any kind of organizational change, it will be significantly easier
if your employees trust the leaders of the change initiative.