Key takeaways

Building Trust is Complex 

Trust is a multifaceted and evolving concept in organisations, especially in environments structured around transactional work relationships.  

• Trustworthiness vs. Trust: 
  Trustworthiness (honesty, competency, and reliability) is seen as more important than trust itself. While trust is difficult to quantify, these qualities help create a foundation for it. 

• The Paradox of Control: 
  Trust between employers and employees shifts as workplaces evolve—whether through hybrid work models, technology advancements, or job insecurity. The rise of “FOGLO” (Fear of Getting Laid Off) has heightened mistrust, creating anxiety in teams.  

• The Data Mirror: 
• Data can reflect the gaps between employee expectations and reality, but the second step is to address these through meaningful conversations. 

The importance of Culture, Governance, and Co-Creation

A company’s culture is defined by the worst behaviour it tolerates. Addressing dissonance between company values and actions is crucial to building trust. While trust can’t be easily measured, fostering collaboration, innovation, and problem-sharing within teams is essential to building it. 

Current employment practices—such as restrictive policies and lack of transparency—can undermine trust. We must be mindful of how employee contracts and policies are perceived, as mistrust can erode when policies feel restrictive or disingenuous. Organisations need to co-create intentional cultures, where policies reflect both trust and accountability, and governance is carefully introduced to avoid further mistrust. 

The Training Epidemic & The Role of Coaching

• 80% of managers are “accidental managers,” untrained and ill-equipped to lead, creating widespread leadership failures. 

• 1 in 3 senior managers also lack proper training, contributing to an epidemic of incompetence in leadership. 

• A shift from executive coaching to equipping managers with coaching skills is vital. Empowering managers to ask better questions, guide teams, and become positive role models will help address this epidemic and foster better leadership in organisations.