Communication and Trust in the Workplace

Diane Hansen, CTC

In our fast-paced and ever evolving business world, the importance of developing positive and open relationships of trust within an organization has never been more important. Trust between employees and management can increase employee involvement, satisfaction, and production. Our effectiveness in communicating with each other is the way we build trust; colleague to colleague and management to employees. Consideration of how well we communicate then is a critical step we each must take in order to develop strong and trusting relationships in the business world. Improving the way we personally communicate with each other during regular operations as well as amid changing circumstances could have a greater impact on our personal and organizational successes than any other step we can take to improve.

Many studies have been performed and much has been written about the positive impact of trust in all kinds of relationships. Trust has been defined as a “willingness of a party to be vulnerable to the actions of another party” (Mayer, Davis & Schoorman, 1995). Applying this definition, it is clear that almost all of the interactions taking place regularly in a business revolve around the principle of trust. Management can change the entire direction of a company, hire and fire employees, or could sell a business altogether. Supervisors and co-workers guide and direct specific work processes and have a close connection with many aspects of the lives and performance of fellow employees. It is no wonder we feel more comfortable and confident in our jobs when high levels of trust exist.

As we look at the impact communication has on building trust in the workplace, we will look at why trust is so important in the corporate world and how communication leads to trust. We will also examine the effects of distrust and identify ways to rebuild damaged relationships. Finally, we will call on leaders to take responsibility for creating a communicative and trusting atmosphere in the workplace.

The Case for Trust in the Workplace

Most of us can recall feeling inclined to perform more diligently when we trust and respect management or believe in a company’s vision. We also know what it feels like to be less inclined to perform when we do not trust our leaders or cannot support a company’s methods. Cuddy, Kohut, and Neffinger (2013) explain:

• Without a foundation of trust, people in the organization may comply outwardly with a leader’s wishes, but they’re much less likely to conform privately – to adopt the values, culture, and mission of the organization in a sincere, lasting way. Workplaces lacking in trust often have a culture of “every employee for himself,” in which people feel that they must be vigilant about protecting their interests. Employees can become reluctant to help others because they’re unsure of whether their efforts will be reciprocated or recognized.

This shows that without trust in the workplace, employees have less buy in and will underperform. Morale will drop and company culture can become toxic. The effect of this atmosphere could decrease productivity and lead employees to look for employment where trust does exist. Cuddy, et. al further explain that:

…trust increases information sharing, openness, fluidity, and cooperation. If coworkers can be trusted to do the right thing and live up to their commitments, planning, coordination, and execution are much easier. Trust also facilitates the exchange and acceptance of ideas – it allows people to hear other’s message – and boosts the quantity and quality of the ideas that are produced within an organization. Most important, trust provides the opportunity to change people’s attitudes and beliefs, not just their outward behavior. (p. 6)

Clearly, trust positively impacts every aspect of the workplace. Companies which focus on developing a culture of trust can expect to see increased employee engagement, increased creativity, and a greater capacity for effective change. These changes would make an impact as well in a company’s bottom line and potential for growth. It is clear that, trust plays a vital role in facilitating many of the necessary processes of a successful company.

Communication Builds Trust

The question remains, how can a company develop a culture of trust? In a study conducted by Thomas, Zolin, and Hartman (2009) the key is described as follows: “Trust is based on beliefs about the other party, which are shaped through information. Consequently, providing information gives an employee the opportunity to develop trust, and lack of information can reduce trust” (p. 4). Thus, the amount of trust employees develop in relationships is determined by the information they have in regards to that person. All information is given by communication in one form or another. In fact, our communication (or lack thereof) is the determining factor in creating trust between two parties. There are many types of communication (verbal, non-verbal, etc.), as well as innumerable nuances in each of these forms that could be studied extensively. Here, however, we will focus on two aspects of communication or information sharing that have been shown to have a close connection with developing trust.

First is the idea of quality communications. Thomas et al. (2009) found that quality in communication refers to the accuracy, timeliness, and usefulness of information. It states:

• …When employees perceive that they are getting information from their supervisors and coworkers that is timely, accurate, and relevant, they are more likely to feel less vulnerable and more able to rely on their coworkers and supervisors. Conversely, when employees believe they are receiving information that is inaccurate, irrelevant, or untimely, it is likely they will become more guarded and less trusting.

(p. 16)

In today’s information based world, companies will only maintain their edge in the industry when internal communications meet this standard of quality. Thus, making the effort to provide high-quality communication and, in so doing, fostering trust, is well worth the time and energy involved for any organization.

The second aspect found to build trust is the quantity or amount of communication. In that same study by Thomas et al., it was found that:

• Similar to quality of information, getting enough information from a coworker, supervisor, or top management would tend to reduce the trustor’s perception of vulnerability and make one more willing to rely on the trustee.

(p. 5).

In some organizations, knowledge is considered power and information is hoarded in a futile effort to retain personal power. However, growth and success as a company is dependent upon the flow of knowledge and information.

As a new employee in an office, I quickly developed a good relationship with my colleagues and supervisors, and with this came feelings of trust and respect. Job duties and expectations were clearly communicated, and I was able to excel and add value to the organization because of the timely and accurate exchange of information. The trust we felt made it possible for the open sharing of ideas and the creative process to take place. Casual conversations about work or life, as well as weekly meetings discussing work issues, all continued to help my trust in supervisors and co-workers grow. This illustrates how relationships of trust are built through quality and quantity of information. It also shows that positive, trusting relationships are founded upon the simple process of communication.

Loss of Trust in the Workplace

But here we turn to the effects of losing trust in our relationships at work. Building those trusting relationships takes consistent time and effort. Yet, that same strong trust which can be so difficult to build, can be so easy to destroy.

After about a year at this new employment, I was given the responsibility of obtaining the correct visas for hundreds of travelers to a specific country. The process had recently changed and we had a backlog of customers waiting to travel specifically on this visa. My team was under a lot of pressure to handle large amounts of work within an 8-hour work day, account for every communication or change in document status, keep detailed and updated records, and report to management at a minimum of once a week to update everyone on the status and any changes. This was a difficult period for managers and employees alike, with huge workloads and pressure from many sources to solve the issue and get the visas as quickly as possible.

As we began meeting regularly to find a way to resolve the problems, it became quickly apparent that mistrust and insecurity between all involved was hampering our progress. While communication had begun taking place on a consistent basis, it was strained – especially when differing opinions were voiced. Trust was lost and relationships damaged as employee’s suggestions on how to improve and approach different aspects of the work were either dismissed or ignored. The consequences of being spread so thin, placed under such intense pressure, and constrained by an inflexible timeline led to more misunderstandings and an additional lack of confidence between all involved. Communication between the employees and management was poor and distrust prevented us from working out a solution and making the necessary changes. All of this created an atmosphere of disharmony, fear, and misunderstanding.

Repairing Trust in Relationships

Now, let’s turn to looking at ways trust can be repaired after being damaged. We begin by considering what could have taken place in this difficult time working with visas. While discussions about the details of the work were taking place, the discomfort and lack of confidence between individuals was never addressed. Employees and managers refused talk to one another about the issues that kept us from moving forward and only whispered to colleagues instead. Open communication should have been our goal. Each person choosing to be vulnerable and forthright is so difficult, but the process enables trust to begin to grow again. Taking the time to communicate our thoughts (quantity), and being honest and open regarding our feelings and ideas (quality) would have propelled us in a more productive and positive direction. Openly discussing options and how they may or may not work and even sharing frustrations about the workload could have helped us all get back on the same page and remember that we were all one team working for a common goal.

Developing an environment of open communication, a safe place where there is room for disagreement, opinions, and sharing is an important start in rebuilding trust. In contrast to the experience I had working with the visa backlog, I once interviewed for a new position in my office and was called in to meet with my manager who informed me I had not been chosen for the position. While this type of situation can often be difficult, both my manager and I were open to using this experience as an opportunity to understand and improve. As I asked sincere questions, my manager was honest in her feedback. Even with some tough information shared by each of us, the open communication helped us to build trust and improve our relationship so that we could move forward with increased understanding and good faith. This experience stands in sharp contrast to so many others when both parties were not as prepared to communicate or be vulnerable.

Message to Management

As communication requires two or more people, it depends on each party’s willingness to create the type of atmosphere that will encourage the creation of trusting relationships. Trust requires a certain level of vulnerability on behalf of both parties, but managers have a particular responsibility to take the time and make the effort to communicate well. Managers can be the catalyst in forming relationships of trust. Since the duties of management include the success of a company as a whole, managers should lead the way in the quantity and quality of communication taking place. Workers will respond to efforts by management to openly communicate and will reply just as openly. “Trust and communication have been shown to enhance such organizational outcomes as employee participation and job performance” (Thomas et al., 2009). Managers must begin now to improve the quality and quantity of their communication both to establish trusting relationships and repair existing faulty relationships. In so doing, the organization will be far better off in the long run. Not only is production higher and ideas more original and forward-thinking, but there will be greater employee buy-in and increased worker satisfaction making the company more successful as a whole.

References

Cuddy, A. J. C., Kohut, M., & Neffinger, J. (2013). Connect, Then Lead. Harvard Business Review, (7-8): 1-9. (Reprinted from Harvard Business Review, (7-8):54-61, 132.)

Mayer, R. C., Davis, J. H., & Schoorman, F. D. (1995). An integrative model of organizational trust. Academy of Management Review, 20, 709-734.

Thomas, G. F., Zolin, R., & Hartman, J. L. (2009). The Central Role of Communication in Developing Trust and its Effect on Employee Involvement. Journal of Business
Communication, March 27. doi:10.1177/0021943609333522