Basic Business Cents
Every organization should strive for mutual trust and respect between
their employees in equal amounts, each to the other, up, down, and across the
organization.
This is a favorite saying of
mine because it is so important to the success of the organization and to the
pleasant environment in which to work. But what does it entail and how do we
make it happen?
Webster defines trust as a firm
belief in the honesty, integrity, reliability, justice, etc. of another person
or thing. Respect is defined as to feel honor or esteem for; to hold in high
regard. Thus, the saying states that everyone in the organization can be
trusted to be honest and reliable, and everyone can expect justice and
to be esteemed by others.
If this ideal is reached, we can
expect maximum teamwork, less stress, and optimized performance of both
individuals and the organization. The employees are supportive of each other
and collaborate to maximize results. Okay that is easy to understand, but how
do we achieve it in the real world of the workforce? That is not so easy to
understand.
There is something in the
workplace that can be likened to an echo effect. Our behavior is reflected back
to us. If we are supportive and helpful to others, they are more inclined to
treat us in the same way. On the other hand, if we are selfish, play politics,
and hard to get along with, we are likely to get that thrown back to us. The
Golden Rule is a good guide to our behavior.
Someone needs to start the ball
rolling and anyone in the organization can be the catalyst, but normally it
needs to start at the top. Leaders need to model the way as people, consciously
or sub-consciously, emulate the leaders in the organization. The onus for
starting the culture change of mutual trust and respect must be on leadership. Management
must clearly state the aim and objectives of the organization, provide proper
training and directions, and then trust the employees to do the best job they
can. Avoiding micro-management, excessively looking over the shoulders of
others inspecting their work, is a must to demonstrate that they trust the
employees.
However, individuals can make
their work place more enjoyable by setting their own examples of trust and
respect. They don’t have to wait for someone else to start. Behavior is
infectious.
Examples of trust and respect
behavior can spread and start to snowball. We all want to eliminate stress due
to political infighting; to make our work more enjoyable and satisfying. This
dynamic culture of trust and respect results in enthusiastic, positive
attitudes, which we all desire.
