Does Trust Matter At Work Place? Also, does it have a positive Correlation With Motivation and Retention- Absolutely!!!- Article 3 (MBA-Course Module: MN7234ES- People and Organizations: Principles and Practices in Global Contexts
Does Trust Matter At Work Place? Also, does it have a positive Correlation With Motivation and Retention- Absolutely!!!
Trust
takes years to build, seconds to break and forever to repair (Grossman, 2022).
Is this statement true or false? True.
Trust
is built on being honest, mutual respect, collaboration, being authentic and
having empathy. When organization culture is built on such a structure it will
foster strong bond among leaders and employees. This will improve employee
engagement, retention and business results (Grossman, 2022).
An
environment built on Trust will have the following:
Trust
will enhance productivity, reduce stress and anxiety, and increase innovation.
On the other hand, low trust will make businesses incur unnecessary costs,
lower productivity and followers feel anxiety and stress (Patmore, 2020).
Source: (Ulusoy, 2023)
Enhanced
teamwork and collaboration- Poor employee communication leads to poor
collaboration. There should be open and
honest communication in the work (Martic, 2023).
Improved
efficiency, engagement and productivity- Research shows that highly-trusted
workplaces will have a 50% higher employee productivity, 106% more energy at
work and 13% fewer sick days. In addition, organizations with high trust levels
outperform their competitors by 18% because of low trust levels (Martic, 2023).
Enhanced
decision-making- In a highly trusted
work place there is a reciprocal trust relationship. Managers and their
employees trust each other. As a result, their managers empower their employees
to make their own decisions (Martic, 2023).
Decreased
stress and burnout in the workplace- Stress and burnout have negative impacts
on employee motivation and productivity. Thus, leaders at companies needs to be
transparent and frequently communicate with their followers to reduce stress
levels (Martic, 2023).
Increased
employee loyalty and retention- Employees will be motivated to stay when a
culture of trust is created and maintained (Martic, 2023).
Overcomed
resistance to change- When communication is transparent and trust is built,
followers feel confident and support management initiates (Martic, 2023).
Improved
innovation and creativity- When employers trusts their employees, they express
their ideas which will bring in fresh and innovative solutions (Martic, 2023).
So
it is important that organizations should not create mistrust. Now that we have
seen why trust is important, let us now see examples of how mistrust is created
at work places from my observations through my professional experience and
through common understanding.
My
Insight and Learning
I
have observed across my professional experience is that there is no trust in
the workplace. There is no innate drive for the employees to stay within the
organization for the long-term. Just question rationally. Why does a employee
change organization after organization? One great reason is there is no strong
bond created within the organization based on a mutual relationship called
trust. Some examples of what I have
witnessed are listed below from my professional experience:
Micromanagement-
The team leader controls the members closely monitoring every task and decision
showing no trust in the abilities of the team to work independently (Yadav,
2023).
Lack
of Delegation- The Manager avoids delegation due to doubts about the team’s
competence to handle responsibilities (Yadav, 2023).
Blame
Game- Team members quickly assign blame to others when things go wrong without
resolving the issue collaboratively and taking collective responsibility
(Yadav, 2023).
Hoard
Knowledge- When the Manager leader hoards information or expertise instead of
sharing information with the team displaying a lack of trust in their
followers’ capabilities or job security (Yadav, 2023).
Unwarranted
Secrecy- Not sharing work-related information without valid reasons can bring
suspicion and a lack of trust among team members (Yadav, 2023).
This
shows that there is no opportunity for the employees to develop themselves. The
employees feel demotivated and may end up resigning from the company. When a leader manages a team, he should
respect his followers. He should be transparent in his communication. The
leader should set the example of team cohesion to build trust. He should
delegate the work and provide them with the autonomy to work on their own. He
should provide constructive critiques.
Currently,
in Sri Lanka we witness a lot of migration. Also, we see high turnovers.
Generally, when we attend for interviewes the interviewer asks how long we will
stay with the organization. And the employee states three, five and six years,
and so on. However, both junior and experienced senior employees just resign in
one month, six months and one year. Why is this happening? Employees are not
respected. There is blame and fear culture created. This creates low morale
among employees leading to mental issues such as depression. Moreover, there
will be no collaboration within the team. This will result in poor
organizational performance. Not only that there will be high staff turnover.
Overall
what I state is that trust cannot be purchased anywhere. It is an innate value
that must earned by people through mutual respect and collaboration. It is
simple as that but should practiced in the right approach which is
understandably difficult. Otherwise, it creates a toxic work atmosphere. We all
do not want that since it will bring negative consequences to organizations.
Therefore, organizational leaders should ensure that there is transparent open
communication in their work flows, be respectful and be accountable and have
collaborative and supportive culture to drive positive work environment and
achieve organizational goals. Finally, all these will make employees motivated
and retained by organizations.
References:
Grossman,
D. (2022) ‘Trust in the Workplace: 10 Steps to Build Trust with Employees’, Your
Thought Partner, 9 May. Available at: https://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/blog/bid/59619/leaders-follow-these-6-steps-to-build-trust-with-employees-improve-how-you-re-perceived
(Accessed: 22 November 2023).
Martic,
K. (2023) ‘Trust in the Workplace: Why It Is so Important Today and How to
Build It’, Haiilo, 23 January. Available at: https://haiilo.com/blog/trust-in-the-workplace-why-it-is-so-important-today-and-how-to-build-it/
(Accessed: 20 November 2023).
Patmore,
J. (2020) ‘Trust in the Workplace 2020’, University of Cambridge, Volume(Issue)
Not Available, pp. Not Available. doi: 10.13140/RG.2.2.14535.93600
Yadav,
M. (2023) ‘How Lack Of Trust In the Workplace Can Destroy The Work Culture’, Risely,
26 April. Available at: https://www.risely.me/lack-of-trust-in-the-workplace/#:~:text=Lack%20of%20trust%20in%20the%20workplace%20can%20be%20caused%20by,unfair%20treatment%2C%20and%20unresolved%20conflicts.
(Accessed: 25 November 2023).
Ulusoy,
B. (2023) ‘How to Build Trust in Your Workplace: 17 Ways You Can Start Today’, Zavvy,
19 April. Available at: https://www.zavvy.io/blog/build-trust-workplace
(Accessed: 25 November 2023).
In light of your insightful observations regarding the pivotal role of trust in employee retention, how can organizations address the identified trust issues such as micromanagement, lack of delegation, a blame game culture, hoarding knowledge, and unwarranted secrecy? Moreover, considering the prevalence of high turnovers and employee migrations in Sri Lanka, how can organizations foster a culture of respect, collaboration, and transparency to not only attract but retain talent, particularly when there seems to be a discrepancy between stated intentions during interviews and actual job tenures? Lastly, what specific strategies can organizational leaders employ to create a work environment that nurtures mutual respect, accountability, and collaboration for long-term employee satisfaction and commitment?
ReplyDeleteTrust is something earned over time. Practically and honestly no one who is working may be loyal to a company or business because everyone has their own selfish desires. The company boss wants to increase his sales at the expense of his employees. Employees just want to collect his paychecks by working from 8-5. Where is trust going to take place in such a situation? If trust is to take place there should be reciprocal benefit. Of course, it will take time. Both should comprehend and consider that value is created from both sides which creates a win-win situation. So, this is the answer to your question.
DeleteThe advantages of trust in the workplace include increased productivity, increased motivation, and a more upbeat and welcoming environment. On the other hand, a company lacking trust might have a more opposed work atmosphere, lower employee initiative, and lower morale. (https://uk.indeed.com/, 2022)
ReplyDeleteYes the trust matters in all kinds of situation so it will directly effect the company development and prosperity because where there is no trust there is no moving forward but when you have that trust and the confidence will boost when that happens, everything comes together for the betterment of the company and the employee too, well done great work Jasothan
ReplyDeleteTrust is a natural human emotion that must be earned through mutual respect and teamwork.
ReplyDeleteGreat analysis, This article highlights the role of trust in organizational dynamics and provides practical examples of how trust difficulties might emerge in the workplace. It also highlights the negative effects of mistrust on employee morale, performance, and retention.
I agree. Trust definitely goes a long way in building a relationship between the employer and employee. Higher the trust the more reason for employees to go beyond their generic job role and be naturally 'highly engaged'.
ReplyDeleteI Completely agree with you, Building trust between an organization and its people is crucial since trust is a key element of organizational effectiveness. This can be accomplished through maintaining open lines of communication, offering opportunities for employees to build relationships with one another and with the organization, supporting and implementing inclusive practices, allowing flexibility in the times and locations of work, and implementing policies and procedures that involve staff members in organizational decision-making. Additionally, the company must not only have faith in its workers' ability to complete daily tasks but also in who they are when they are not working; A study by Limeade found that employees who are trusted are 50% less inclined to hunt for a new job, have absenteeism rates that are 41% lower, and are 260% more eager to work(Peterson,2023).
ReplyDeleteTo answer everyone in a nutshell, trust is created by mutual understanding, respect, and understanding. Of course, it will take time. In a real-life scenario, when a person initially goes to a university and meets students from different parts of the country. However, in time they can become friends because there is collaboration and support that is taking place in the form of assignments. There will be mutual understanding, and this creates an environment where both are benefited. But if there are selfish desires, that would not foster a culture of trust.
ReplyDelete