As funny as the scene may be, Jack’s Circle of Trust is no laughing matter. Trust is the foundation of every relationship. It influences interactions with our spouse, our kids, our parents, our siblings, our friends, our neighbors, our colleagues, our clients, and yes, even our employees. The more that trust exists, the better the relationship.
Similar to Jack, each of us has a circle of trust. Some people are inside our circle, others are not. Likewise, every employee has a circle. Some bosses are inside the circle, others are nowhere close.
Now ask yourself this, “Are my managers and supervisors in our employees’ circle of trust? Am I?”
If not, you might be in trouble.
Now I know what some of you are thinking: “Employees should be concerned about being in OUR circle. Why should we care about being in their circle?”
Great question.
Employees should be concerned about being in your circle, but trust is a two-way street. It cannot be demanded from employees. You have to earn it, just as an employee has to earn your trust. You don’t give it away to just anyone and neither do they.
In its 2010 Ethics & Workplace Survey, Deloitte concluded that the recession has greatly impacted employee trust – and not for the better. The survey found that 48% of employees who plan to look for a new job when the economy stabilizes cite a loss of trust as a driving force.
And the C-suite knows it, too.
In fact, according to the survey, 65% of executives believe that trust will be a leading factor in voluntary turnover in the coming months.