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An erosion of trust between managers and employees has been revealed in a new survey; with 44% of those employees surveyed stating that they distrusted their boss.

Looking at the people around you, this could mean that nearly half of them distrust you, an unnerving prospect for a manger seeking to pull a team together and increase productivity in difficult financial times. Hand-in-hand with this lack of trust was also a growing sense of insecurity and anxiety surrounding their current roles – with 42% worried about their job security.

Highlighting the thoughts and feelings of those working within the City, many stated that these feeling stemmed from a sense that they had been “sold out” by their superiors - after big bonuses continued to be paid out to those higher up the food chain while those further down lost their jobs.

The survey, which questioned 1,000 employees, also revealed that a gender divide existed, with a higher proportion of males stating they placed trust in their boss compared to women. It was also revealed that the willingness to trust the boss diminish with age.

“Promoting a trusting environment, to build confidence and foster a positive inclusive atmosphere where staff feel valued helps create the essential staff buy-in companies need to succeed.” explained Lyndon Wood, Chairman of insurance firm Constructaquote.com who conducted the survey.

“Trust is a foundation component that allows teams to gel and to pull together, which translates into better experiences for customers and clients. It also helps manage staff turnover which can be a serious obstacle to productivity, quality and profitability.”

“Ultimately this survey has shown that trust is not being given enough of a priority by bosses and managers. But the fact is it is a business critical issue and particularly so at a time of economic uncertainty. Quite simply, showing trust makes work more rewarding for employees, which in turn will produce rewards for the company.”

Trust Tips:

• Credibility – Where, When, How and Why: The cornerstones of what a good manager should be able to answer in order to be seen as a credible leader by the employees they lead.
• Integrity – Working for the benefit of the team, rather than their individual goals or credit, is an essential element to getting a team behind you and moving in the right direction.
• Reliability – Consistency is key for managers, with the ability to deliver the support and processes on which their employees rely another building block on which long-term trust is built.
• Commitment – Simply having been around long enough to become a manager does not guarantee commitment, merely stamina - Instead leading by example sets real expectations.

Elsewhere on the Blog:

Who’s the Biggest Dragon in the Den

A Billion in the Bank Before 30

Rise of the eBay Millionaire

Published by Simon on Tuesday, 01 November 2011 at 11:55 AM