When people think of trust in the workplace, it is usually limited to something along the lines of “Can I trust you to do what you are supposed to do?”; “Will Joe get the report done on time?” or, “Will Mary create contracts that are ironclad?” There is actually a great deal more involved in true workplace trust then just knowing that someone will get their job done.
Patrick Lencioni, in his book “The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team” talks about vulnerability-based trust. This type of trust is really critical within a company. In my work, I see how this plays out in companies, and I have seen how the lack of this type of trust can lead to devastating consequences. One example is in a local manufacturing company. In this company, they often under-quote jobs to their customers. This results in super tight margins, and in some cases, actually results in the project being performed at a LOSS. Why would this happen? Essentially, there is zero trust between the person who quotes the job, and the person who is responsible for ordering the parts needed for the job. If the quoting individual admitted that he needed help with the process, the purchasing person could get the most up to date prices and help create the quote. The job would have realistic margins built in, and the company would be realizing greater returns.
Another example is within a residential health care facility – in this instance, patient care is suffering because there is a disconnect between the nurses and the nursing assistants. The nurses are degreed professionals, and in most cases, the assistants are high school graduates. In this case, the assistants are the ones who spend more hours hands on with the patients, and the RNs are in a supervisory role. Much of the RNs day involves distributing meds and charting. The assistants are acutely aware of how the patients are feeling, what complaints they have and what new symptoms or issues may have arisen. However, the RNs aren’t willing to “hear” the assistants – the RNs are the degreed professionals, and they aren’t willing to admit they might not be aware of everything to do with a patient. They are not willing to be vulnerable and admit that a lower level person might be more aware and have more valuable information in some instances. This lack of vulnerability-based trust is actually endangering patients’ lives.
In each of these cases, the companies are at serious risk because of a lack of the right kind of trust among their employees. So, how can they recover? Trust isn’t something you can mandate – it has to be demonstrated and lived starting at the top. Think about the example you set – when was the last time you admitted a mistake? Have you asked for help in understanding something or learning something recently? Do you have an environment of encouragement even in the face of failure – or do you chastise and embarrass those who make mistakes? The example that you set determines the way each of your employees will act, and that in turn, determines the success of your company.
