THEY say, "without trust there is nothing." But, the ability to trust and be trusted is a rarity nowadays. In fact, employees find it hard to place even an iota of trust in their employers. We do come across employees who do not have any binding loyalty for their companies. At the same time, we also know of companies that do not acknowledge employees' trust.
Trust helps harness creativity, improve productivity and reap the resultant profits. Mutual trust makes employees share ideas, voice concerns, focus on goals and function as an impregnable team with organisational interests at heart. Moreover, trust is the true essence of a high-performing and engaged workplace. Without trust, managers find it difficult to make their subordinates realise their true potential.
And, for the lack of trust among employees, employers have no one but themselves to blame. They do not realise that trust does not come in exchange for buttering their employees' bread. Nor do gimmicks like paying high salaries, over-the-top perks, lavish parties or pulling strings win any loyalty points.
Earning employee trust is not that difficult, but it requires sustained effort and lots of time. Companies have to take measures to gain the trust of their employees.
It's all about communication!
Employers should regularly share information with their personnel and keep them abreast of the goings on in the organisation. They should clearly establish their expectations from the employees and what employees can reasonably expect from the employer. Companies should ask for suggestions, opinions, ideas and questions from employees to keep them involved. Above all, the management should give clear answers to their workers and always tell them the truth even though it may be difficult to win their undying trust.
Lend an attentive ear
Managements should consider employees' observations seriously and listen carefully what they say. They should ask questions that probe and clarify the issue and also try and find out what excites employees and what puts them off.
What's your word worth?
Nothing builds trust more than walking your talk. In fact, more than 50 percent of the respondents in an employee survey said they considered hypocrisy the biggest problem in the corporate world today and blamed the top-level management for fostering distrust. Companies should keep the promises they make to their employees at any cost. Keeping promises nurtures dependability and faith among employees.
Management matters... and how!
Peter Drucker states, `Leaders should lead not only through knowledge and skill but through courage, responsibility, and integrity'. A recent study states that only 12% of effective leadership is based on knowledge and vision; the other 88% involves dealing appropriately with people.
Employers should adopt fair practices and ensure equal treatment of employees. They should stay away from micromanaging or hogging all the credit, otherwise such tactics drive employees away. Employees should be respected keeping their best interests at heart.
Be human first
Managements should let employees connect with them by relaxing a few formal protocols. They should never act tough and reserved but be open and share their goals, ambitions and dreams to build personal relations. They should not be afraid to reveal their vulnerability and acknowledge their weaknesses. They should not hesitate to seek employees' advice and expertise.
They are human too!
Employees are more than two hands and one brain! Companies should rise above the conventional employer-employee relationship of performance appraisals, feedback and supervision by showing interest in their workers. Sometimes, even a simple `Thank You' card can do the trick. The management should show that they care!
Everyone knows that the fragile employer - employee trust is difficult to build and very easy to destroy. Also, rebuilding trust once it has been lost is five times more difficult than establishing trust initially. Organisations should remember that simple trust is the biggest compliment their employees can ever pay them.
Trust helps harness creativity, improve productivity and reap the resultant profits. Mutual trust makes employees share ideas, voice concerns, focus on goals and function as an impregnable team with organisational interests at heart. Moreover, trust is the true essence of a high-performing and engaged workplace. Without trust, managers find it difficult to make their subordinates realise their true potential.
And, for the lack of trust among employees, employers have no one but themselves to blame. They do not realise that trust does not come in exchange for buttering their employees' bread. Nor do gimmicks like paying high salaries, over-the-top perks, lavish parties or pulling strings win any loyalty points.
Earning employee trust is not that difficult, but it requires sustained effort and lots of time. Companies have to take measures to gain the trust of their employees.
It's all about communication!
Employers should regularly share information with their personnel and keep them abreast of the goings on in the organisation. They should clearly establish their expectations from the employees and what employees can reasonably expect from the employer. Companies should ask for suggestions, opinions, ideas and questions from employees to keep them involved. Above all, the management should give clear answers to their workers and always tell them the truth even though it may be difficult to win their undying trust.
Lend an attentive ear
Managements should consider employees' observations seriously and listen carefully what they say. They should ask questions that probe and clarify the issue and also try and find out what excites employees and what puts them off.
What's your word worth?
Nothing builds trust more than walking your talk. In fact, more than 50 percent of the respondents in an employee survey said they considered hypocrisy the biggest problem in the corporate world today and blamed the top-level management for fostering distrust. Companies should keep the promises they make to their employees at any cost. Keeping promises nurtures dependability and faith among employees.
Management matters... and how!
Peter Drucker states, `Leaders should lead not only through knowledge and skill but through courage, responsibility, and integrity'. A recent study states that only 12% of effective leadership is based on knowledge and vision; the other 88% involves dealing appropriately with people.
Employers should adopt fair practices and ensure equal treatment of employees. They should stay away from micromanaging or hogging all the credit, otherwise such tactics drive employees away. Employees should be respected keeping their best interests at heart.
Be human first
Managements should let employees connect with them by relaxing a few formal protocols. They should never act tough and reserved but be open and share their goals, ambitions and dreams to build personal relations. They should not be afraid to reveal their vulnerability and acknowledge their weaknesses. They should not hesitate to seek employees' advice and expertise.
They are human too!
Employees are more than two hands and one brain! Companies should rise above the conventional employer-employee relationship of performance appraisals, feedback and supervision by showing interest in their workers. Sometimes, even a simple `Thank You' card can do the trick. The management should show that they care!
Everyone knows that the fragile employer - employee trust is difficult to build and very easy to destroy. Also, rebuilding trust once it has been lost is five times more difficult than establishing trust initially. Organisations should remember that simple trust is the biggest compliment their employees can ever pay them.
PAYAL AGARWAL
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