A Crisis of Trust

Increasingly I am finding organizations suffering from a lack of execution and effective communication to such a degree that operations are slowing down and in some cases, going in to reverse. I am finding that there is one common thread that links these companies and that is an atmosphere devoid of trust. Teams who don’t trust have meetings that are dysfunctional and become a waste of time. A lack of organizational trust undermines communication, commitment, accountability and inevitably, results.

Few organizations realize that there is a lot that can be done to increase trust and that doing so can have a huge impact. Even fewer realize that developing team and organizational trust can happen much faster than you think.

When we look at the surveys on issues of trust in America, it becomes clear that we have created a society that has becoming increasingly distrustful in the very broadest sense of the word. In America we are suffering from a crisis of trust and recent Harris Polling provides some interesting data:

• Only 22% trust media

• 12% trust big companies

• 8% trust political parties

• 27% trust government

• Only 34% trust other people (America)

Organizational Trust:

• Only 51% of employees trust senior mgmt.

• 36% believe leaders act honestly

• 76% have observed unethical conduct in the workplace

• The #1 reason people leave their jobs is a bad relationship with their boss

Trust on an Individual Level:

Who Cheats?

• 43% Liberal Arts Students

• 52% Education Students

• 63% Medical Students

• 63% Law Students

• 75% Business Students