What Impacts The Ability To Trust?

As a leader (and as a person), what impacts your ability to trust someone? Do you start with an even playing field where you are open and accepting, or are you more inclined to reluctantly accept what is being shared and need to learn more?

Edelman Data & Intelligence (DxI) has been conducting annual trust surveys for over 20 years.  For the 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer, data was gathered from survey results obtained in November of 2021, with input from over 36,000 respondents from 28 countries.   

The findings:

• nearly 60% of the respondents have the default tendency to distrust and require more evidence
• Distrust is now society’s default emotion
• 64% say it’s to a point where people are incapable of having constructive and civil debates
• Gone is the ability to collaborate on differences
• 60% will choose a place to work based on their beliefs and values

Having over half of your colleagues/team members lacking the ability to trust certainly impacts your work culture as trust is the essential ingredient for building strong teams, supporting common goals, and producing results.

As a leader you have the ability to impact trust levels. Some ideas include:

• Be authentic and transparent
• Share your expectations (and live them)
• Mean what you say
• Keep confidences
• Follow through on your commitments
• No hidden agendas are allowed
• Don’t disregard morale issues
• Build relationships and take the time to “know” your colleagues/direct reports
• Listen
• Don’t ignore unhealthy conflict
• Provide healthy, constructive feedback (with specifics)
• Solicit feedback
• Utilize Emotional Intelligence

Invest in building trust. When trust levels are lacking, stress, turnover, morale, gossip, productivity, and satisfaction ratings are impacted. When trust levels are high, the ability to collaborate, achieve results, and be open and vulnerable are also high.

Could you do more to improve the ability to trust?

Sincerely,