I have never really had the patience to sit through an entire episode of Survivor. I think becoming a fan of this show is similar to becoming a soap opera devotee. When you only watch a few episodes, or catch a glimpse of one episode, the storyline seems very far-fetched and rather uninteresting. Once you are a regular viewer, however, you can’t wait to find out what happens on the next episode.

To me, the biggest challenge for participants on Survivor is knowing who to trust. Alliances are formed and broken by savvy individuals who know how to get what they need from relationships. This is not to say that some real friendships and loyalties exist on the show, but the format of the game puts the final winner in the position of possibly having to betray everyone—including those who helped him or her get to the end of the competition.

In a real-life survival situation, I think trust also sometimes takes a beating. Sarah Boesveld writes in the Globe and Mail  “Trust has become a major issue in workplaces around the world as companies weather the recession.” She goes on to say that  “The annual "Trust Barometer" issued in January and conducted by Edelman, a global PR firm, found 62 per cent of respondents worldwide have lost trust in corporations and organizations in the past year.”

As workers become increasingly concerned about losing their own jobs, they may become less apt to share resources or help each other succeed. Colleagues may share a more competitive relationship as opposed to a supportive one.

Blogger, Steve Roesler --CEO of Roesler Communications/Roesler Consulting Group--identifies what he considers to be indicators of a loss of trust in the workplace. He writes “When you see people talking more about options that protect themselves vs. actions that achieve the communal goal, you are seeing a lack of confidence and trust.” He also writes that “When a person distances one's self themselves from their work relationships, they aren't fully engaged.” Roesler says "when you start to see the resumes hit the street,” and you notice groups ganging up against each other, you may need to assess whether or not trust is deteriorating.

Even when you can identify a lack of trust, it may be difficult to rebuild it. Boesfeld quotes James Gavin, “the director of the professional coaching program at Concordia University in Montreal” as saying that "The common rule of thumb is one untrustworthy act negates 100 trustworthy ones." You may have heard statistics that say positive feedback should outnumber negative feedback by ten to one, well; the stakes for trust appear to be even higher.

Yet, high stakes go hand in hand with financial benefit. Managing partner Jose Tolovi Neto of the Great Place to Work Institute Canada, is quoted in the Globe and Mail as saying that “Trusted employers are transparent and honest”…”and often perform better economically as well.” Furthermore,  he says, "Companies that work well in creating trust will be much better equipped to go through the crisis because their employees will walk the extra mile."

I often think that trust has to do with how well we feel the other party has lived up to an assumed contract. Thus, the better we have communicated the details of the contract, and the more closely we live up to expectations, the higher the level of trust.

Experts on the topic of organizational trust, Ken Blanchard and Terry Waghorn  write “The key to building trust in both good and bad times is to realize that none of us is as smart as all of us.” Through their analysis of companies with high levels of trust, Blanchard and Waghorn identify two common factors. “First, they have a higher purpose than simply making money.” And “Second, companies that engender trust democratize the decision-making process by soliciting input and sharing the decision-making itself with as many people as possible.”

Thus, communication of the vision and purpose of an organization along with collaboration to meet the desired vision can build trust.

How do you know when trust levels are rising within an organization? One true test would be to see if you could implement Vivian Wong’s suggestion that employees give their boss performance feedback.

How do you think trust has suffered during the economic downturn?

References:

Boesveld, Sarah. “Ambiguity anxiety.” The Globe and Mail [www.theglobeandmail.com]. April 13, 2009.

Blanchard, Ken and Terry Waghorn. Make Sure Your Employees Trust You-Or Else [www.forbes.com]. Obtained April 19, 2009.

Roesler, Steve. “Four Ways To Spot Reduced Trust.” All Things Workplace Blog [www.allthingsworkplace.com]. March 26, 2009.

Wong, Vivian. “How about giving your Boss a Performance Review?” Talented Apps