We have a leadership problem.
Everywhere we look, we’re faced with leaders of all shapes and sizes that are failing to inspire.
Leaders - in business, politics, society - who are putting their own agenda above everything and everyone else. (I’m looking at you, Elon Musk!) Leaders who are forgetting, or maybe disregarding, the devastating and irreversible damage they are having on TRUST with their employees.
Why does it matter? The numbers speak for themselves.
Compared with people at low-trust companies, people at high-trust companies report:
74% less stress
106% more energy at work
50% higher productivity
13% fewer sick days
76% more engagement
29% more satisfaction with their lives
40% less burnout
(Source: Harvard Business Review)
Trust is hard-earned and easily lost. And there’s no quick way to build it but if you’re thinking about the ways you can nurture trust in your business - modelled at a leadership level and woven throughout all parts of the organisation - then have a think about the core elements that sit at the heart of trust. (Source: The Trust Equation)
1. CREDIBILITY
What does this feel like?
"I believe what they say - they have the knowledge, skills, experience to back it up."
2. RELIABILITY
What does this feel like?
"I believe they’ll deliver on their promise because they have a track-record of doing so."
3. INTIMACY
What does this feel like?
"I feel safe/secure sharing that information with them as they’ve never violated my confidentiality before."
4. SELF-ORIENTATION
What does this feel like?
"I believe they want good things for me and the decision they’ve made is not self-serving."
Internal Comms, HR, Employer Brand and Talent teams all play an important role here.
The stories you share; the people you attract; the talent you develop; the employee experiences you shape; will either contribute to or takeaway from a culture based on trust.
When you work with your leaders to communicate business decisions, are you thinking strategically about the best way to reinforce their credibility with employees?
When you bring new talent into the business, are you thinking about how you can deliver on your employer brand promises and show you’re an employer that can be relied upon.
When your business is in the horrible place of having to let people go, are you thinking about how you can leave people with the feeling that ‘decisions are being made for the right reasons’?
None of this is easy. But it’s infinitely easier when you trust your leader.
Want to build the core elements of trust into your comms and employee experience approach? I can help. Drop me a message - jessica@jrcomms.co.uk.
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