Has the Enron debacle threatened your organization's trust? (Personnel Matters).(Brief Article)

Workers who months ago may have been questioning whether their jobs were at risk in slowing economy are now questioning much, much more. In the wake of the Enron collapse and the questions surrounding lies and deceit from the company's leadership, employees at many companies are wondering just what and whom they can trust. This does not bode well for putting the economy back on track.

While trust issues have always been important, suddenly even companies where trust was never questioned are having its leaders come under scrutiny. From supervisors to mid-level managers, to executives at the top, building trust has become a major task. So, what's a leader to do to quell the furry? Simply talking about trust issues will not do it; modeling trust is what really counts. Here are a few simple principles and actions that can be very important in establishing and maintaining trust:

1. Be sure to have an open communication environment.

This means that it's not just important to communicate about the good things; it's also important to communicate about potential problems, concerns and mistakes. Not talking about things merely leaves people to draw their own conclusions, which are generally nor accurate and tend to take the negative approach. If you communicate openly in good times, you are more likely to be believed when you have to communicate bad news.

2. Tell the truth.

The truth may be that there are certain facts that cannot be discussed because of legalities or current negations, etc. However, addressing things as truthfully as possible is always better than avoiding what can eventually become the inevitable.

3. Do what you say.