Why Building Trust in the Workplace Matters

Julie Shenkman
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Any good relationship is built on trust. You trust that your pharmacist dispensed the right prescription. You trust that the vegetarian restaurant isn’t serving meat. And you trust that your dog walker is walking your dog for 30 minutes, not just 15. But what happens when trust is violated and puts a relationship at risk? 

These same dynamics are also in play in the world of work. You trust that you’ve hired employees that can perform to the best of their abilities, but do you know if your employees trust you? Many leaders don’t typically think about this, but if employees don’t trust their manager or leaders, that could be problematic. 

Trust is so important and a good thing, here are four reasons why building trust in the workplace matters.

1. Trust is the foundation of great leadership. Simply put, developing trust gives you the power to get things done. So, displaying behaviors and characteristics that earn respect is one of the most important mainstays when it comes to managing employees. When your employees trust you, they’re more likely to follow your lead, especially in uncertain times. 

2. Trust makes people feel safe. Mistrust is a breeding ground for fear, lack of loyalty, and reduced productivity. A team without trust suffers because they can’t operate efficiently because they have issues making decisions, taking criticism, or making mistakes, because they are afraid to do those things. When staff feels safe and trust each other and their leadership team, they’re more productive.

3. Trust leads to innovation. Trusted leaders make their employees feel empowered. And these empowered employees feel safe to share ideas and opinions. An environment of trust produces a world where new ideas are discovered and productive discussions are had without judgement. And a workplace like this is more open to changes because there’s mutual trust.   

4. Trust leads to future leaders. When employees are trusted, they have the confidence to do their jobs well, own their achievements, and hone their own leadership skills. Good leadership helps to create future leaders who are trustworthy, trust others, and can lead with confidence. 

Trust or the lack there of can make or break an organization. When trust is a core component of an organization’s corporate culture, you can tell, and you’ll see high retention rates and referral numbers.

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