Key ideas from the Harvard Business Review article
by Robert F. Hurley

The Idea

Half of all managers don’t trust their leaders. And in organizations mired in mistrust, stress, divisiveness, and lackluster productivity prevail-prompting valued employees to flee to more motivating environments.

How to win your employees’ trust?

Understand that trust doesn’t happen magically: According to Robert Hurley, your employees decide whether to trust you-by conducting mental calculations based on factors you can assess and influence. These factors include shared values (such as a strong work ethic) and employees’ perceptions that you’re competent.

To win employees’ trust, identify which factors may cause them to mistrust you-then behave in ways that secure their confidence in you. For example, Whole Foods CEO John Mackey forfeited $46,000 of a larger bonus when he realized that his total compensation violated the company’s policy that a CEO cannot make more than 14 times the average employee’s salary. Mackey’s action reinforced employees’ belief that he served the best interests of the company, not just his own.

Related Article: Nobody Trusts the Boss Completely, Now What ? Fernando Bartolome

The Idea in Practice with KBA

The Trust Bond

Our Leadership Programme focuses on building open, trusting and respectful relationships. We help leaders develop a clear self concept. One of our tools examines the extent to which individuals trust, and are trustworthy. Nine factors critical for developing trusting relationships include:

• Communication
• Support
• Respect
• Fairness
• Predictability
• Competence
• Doing what you say you’ll do
• Dealing with underperformance
• Caring

Ask yourself, what’s my reputation for each of these?