The Role of Trust in Communication

by Cindy Ventrice

A VP asks a Line Supervisor for their opinion on why production has missed their quotas for the third quarter in a row. The supervisor has a pretty good idea why this is happening, but the reason for the missed quotas isn't something she thinks management wants to hear. So instead of sharing what she knows, the supervisor chooses to feign ignorance.

This VP has a communication problem. He hasn't developed a strong enough rapport with this supervisor. She doesn't know how he'll react, if she tells him what she knows, so she's reluctant to share her knowledge.

If you want to create a dialog, first build trust.

In a 1975 study by Zick Rubin, students approached passengers at an airport and asked for their help in a handwriting study. Each student wrote a few sentences describing him or herself and asked the strangers to write a sentence or two about themselves. Passengers revealed the same level of intimacy in their statements as the students did in theirs. Fascinating. It seems nothing builds trust faster, than being trusted.

Trust your employees and co-workers.

Share the information that affects your organization. Unless it's gossip, don't hold anything back. The more you trust people, the more they trust you. Share your knowledge, be candid about problems, and divulge your strategy. The more you tell, the more you learn.

Be trustworthy.

People trust managers and co-workers that are reliable, and consistent. Whether we are aware of it or not, we keep a kind of mental balance sheet on the people we know. Think of it like a checking account. When we make a promise and follow through, we make a small deposit to the account. When we treat others equitably, we make a small deposit. When we break a promise we write a large check. When we share inappropriate information about another worker we write a very large check. We change our minds, listen poorly, present ourselves as experts when we're not, and before we know it our "trust account" is overdrawn and we're walking around with a scarlet "NSF" emblazoned on our foreheads.

The fastest way to improve workplace morale, increase productivity and profitability, is to improve communication, and the fastest way to improve communication is by building trust.

© Copyright Cindy Ventrice, 1999

Cindy Ventrice of Potential Unlimited Seminars has been a consultant/trainer   for the past 14 years. She is currently offering presentations and workshops on topics that include Communication, Coping with Burnout, and Virtual Teams.

She can be reached at 831-476-4224, or
email: CVentrice@potential-unltd.com

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