Trust Could Be Killing Your Bottom Line: A Manager's Guide to Success

 

How much do you trust your staff and why does it matter? Trust affects the bottom line--the way you treat employees is the way they will treat customers. If it's acceptable that a company or manager doesn't have to keep promises, then you can almost guarantee employees won't be keeping promises to customers, either.

You've heard this before, "People do business with people they trust." A customer's trust in a company starts with a company's trust in its employees. As Lance Secretan writes in Reclaiming Higher Ground, "Our society is suffering from truth decay." He goes on to suggest that, especially in teams, telling the truth is essential.

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"If the members of a symphony lie to each other, they will play awful music," Secretan says. So it goes in any team environment. One of the most compelling advantages for telling the truth--it is efficient. Over a third of a company's budget may be devoted to administrative functions like controls, reports and procedures. A lot of these controls exist because management doesn't trust employees. What if we could do away with the controls and trust each other to do our best? It would be much less expensive and much more efficient.

California Gov. Gray Davis recently vetoed the first attempt by a U.S. state legislature to require employers to notify workers that their e-mail and other computer use may be monitored. The bill's author argued that employers in the Golden State are already required to notify workers before eavesdropping on phone calls or putting security cameras in restrooms! But Davis called the measure an unnecessary burden on employers and a litigation trap, noting that business workers should know that business computers are for business use. Many legal experts feel employers should notify employees in a policy statement that electronic communications are subject to review. Some also suggest adding a disclaimer as part of the default "signature" file attached to e-mail from your enterprise's network.

Would you feel trusted in a workplace that has security cameras in the bathroom, eavesdrops on your phone calls and reads your e-mails? Does it happen often? Often enough that they have to set litigation around it. Where do organizations get the time to monitor people's phone calls and bathroom activities, anyways? Like every business activity, this costs time and money. What is the reward? A staff constantly looking over their shoulder to see who's watching them? Afraid to speak their mind knowing that everything they say and do will be monitored?

It all comes back to how you treat people. How would you treat a good friend? Why would you have different guidelines for professional relationships? If you don't treat people fairly, they will leave. Some litigation does work for employees, however. Under the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act, most employees are entitled to time-and-a-half for time worked beyond 40 hours in one week. This sounds simple, but "work" under the FLSA can include:

• Work that is "suffered or permitted" if an employee works late, whether or not she's asked to, counts under FLSA
• Waiting time and on-call time even if employees are on call at home
• Rest and meal periods. Meals paid and unpaid are still work if the employee is not completely relieved of duties.
• Training programs. If a program is required, or during work hours, or related to an employees job, it's "work," regardless of when they're done.

These are some of the legal guidelines around treating people fairly. Yet it goes much further than this if you really want to build trust with people.

Killing the Trust Factor
Is trust affecting your bottom line? Here are some things companies do that kill the trust factor:

1. They don't model what they say. As American aviation pioneer Wilbur Wright said, "A parrot talks much but flies little." Example: A company has a slogan, "Customer Service is our number one priority," yet you walk into the store and nobody says hello, they won't accept your checks and the staff are detached and uninterested. Example: A company says the most important asset is their people, but then they make changes that affect all employees without notice or input.
2. They make promises they can't keep. Example: A manager says she will give everyone a raise next month--she also said that last month.
3. They guard and selectively disclose information. Example: There are corporate zones that are off limits for some employees. Information is guarded and only a select few are in the know. Meetings happen behind closed doors.
4. They don't allow employees to exercise their own judgment. Example: The company always goes by the book. There are so many rules designed so that people don't have to think about what they should do.
5. The company asks for input and suggestions, then ignores them. Example: A manager asks for suggestions on improving service. An employee offers two good ideas and no one says anything or brings it up again. Employees get the feeling that management is going through the motions, and that they really don't want the input. Of course, you won't use all ideas, but follow-up is essential. It shows you are listening;
6. Everything is monitored, from the number of sick days to productivity levels.

Defining Trust in the Workplace
When I speak to organizations about creating trust in the workplace, these are the most common qualities participants say about trustworthy companies and individuals:

• "They have never let me down before."
• "They do what they say they will do."
• "I know they have my best interests in mind."
• "He knows what he's talking about and admits it when he doesn't."

Here are the qualities I think define a trusting workplace:

1. Open communications. Employees talk openly and informally, sharing between individuals and departments. Everyone's opinion is valued equally. When changes occur, employees are included and involved. Suggestions and input are encouraged and always followed up. Managers listen to employees.
2. Empowered employees. Employees are encouraged to use their own judgment to solve problems. Rules are a guideline, not a solution.
3. Everyone is accountable. From managers to every level of staff, people keep their promises. They don't say something will happen until they have the system and resources in place to make sure it will happen. Involve the whole group and make everyone accountable. Invest in commitments.
4. Managers model decisions. Until managers can model change themselves, they don't expect other team members to. They are careful that what is said on paper is realistic. They know it's not just something to aim for but also something they are committed to and will happen.

Have you ever walked into a store and had an employee welcome you with as much enthusiasm as a two-by-four? It happens a lot. I always think, why don't you say it like you mean it? Simple--if they did, they would lose their job. An employee's attitude about their job is often a good reflection of the company's attitude about their employees. Companies who say "Service is our number one priority" and then cut staff hours and paychecks are making one big mistake: They are lying. Service can only be a priority when people become the priority.

Jody Urquhart is the author of All Work & No SAY takes the PASSION Away. Create a Passionate & Committed Workplace. She can be reached at [email protected].