We tend to think of trust in one dimension, but there are several different ways trust plays out in organizations.
My favorite definition of trust is that when I trust someone, it means I believe he or she will always do what is thought to be in my best interest (even if I do not particularly appreciate it at the time).
We can contrast some dimensions of trust by considering what it is like to work in an organization with high trust versus one with low trust on several dimensions. Here are some of them:
- Solving problems
- Focus of thought and action
- Communications
- Customer Retention
- Morale and Motivation
- Productivity
- Need for the leader to be perfect
- Development of People
- Reinforcement
In each of these areas, the contrast between working in a high trust environment versus a low one is dramatic. To learn more, check out this white paper..
http://www.leadergrow.com/TenHallmarksofHighTrustOrganizations.pdf
