Episode: 320

Episode Title: Two Ways to Build Trust

If trust is so essential for productive working relationships, how do you go about building it? Here are two essential strategies, coming up next on The Perna Syndicate.

Ep 320 show:

Hello—you’re now in The Perna Syndicate! All week, we’ve been discussing the new trend of workplace surveillance and how it can impact the trust between the employer and employee. I want to wrap up this conversation with some practical strategies to strengthen a culture of trust in your organization. 

Dr. Meade, whom I’ve quoted several times this week, says that one powerful strategy to build trust is to identify and agree to a higher goal. When either side believes that the other primarily has its own interests at heart, it will be difficult or impossible to foster trust. But when both know that they share a common interest or ‘greater good’ that they are working toward, it’s not so hard to trust the other’s motives.

This all comes back to the necessity for purpose, for people to buy into a vision that is bigger than themselves. This applies to the classroom as well as the workplace. When both sides see and commit to that vision, it lays a great foundation for trust.

Consistent honesty and transparency are also cornerstones of a trust-based culture—even when the truth isn’t fun or flattering. Of course, both companies and workers should use discretion in what they share. But deliberately trying to deceive or mislead someone should never even be an option. 

In a fast-changing employment landscape, too many employers and employees are not seeing the common ground of a bigger purpose that they could share. Trust can feel risky, but the cost of not trusting each other may be higher than we want to pay. 

Thanks for being part of The Perna Syndicate this week! Follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter for more insights on the world of work and careers. We’ll see you back here next week on The Perna Syndicate.