"Without trust, employeeshave little interest in beingcreative, taking risks and collaborating. That generative power begins to wane and performance is diminished. However, trust can be rebuilt after it's been broken. Indeed, both facets - building and breaking - are necessary and natural!n all relationships." By DennisS. Reinaand Introduction - building and breaking - are necessary Michelle L. Reina and natural in all relationships. Trust, Parallelctothe emerging field of Positive betrayal and rebuilding trust go hand-in- Organizational Psychology,which focuses hand for developingsustainable trust. on optimal individual psychological states, is the field of Positive Organizational A Trust Rebuilding Example Practice which centers on optimal leadership and management practices Sandra, a customer service manager of that create the best of human conditions a telecommunications firm, thought she in working environments. Positive was operating with the best interests of the organizational practitioners recognize company in mind. Yet at a meeting of her that business is conducted through management team Sandra's boss did not relationships. And trust is the foundation support her. In fact, he belittled her with of those relationships. his unfounded remarks. Sandra was upset, Trust is the critical ingredient and but said nothing to her boss in her defense. trustworthiness is the descriptive word After the meeting, she quickly left the room that helps to define authentic leadership. feeling quite defeated. Trust is the basis for effective leadership The next day Sandra took a risk. She and for relationships in the workplace, knew she could be fired for speaking up. and it is those relationships that produce Yet she also knew she had to do something extraordinary organizational regeneration and do it soon! After a sleeplessnight and renewal. worrying, Sandra walked into her boss's Yet in today's business world there is office and asked if they could talk. She told a wide variety of dynamics constantly at her boss her side of the story: that she felt play that challenge trust at several levels. misunderstood and betrayed by her boss's Mergers and acquisitions, downsizing, comments and actions the day before and change initiatives ad infinitum, high speed- that her boss's comments were not justified. to-market demands, outpacing workforce The two of them talked the situation education, tight controls on information through. The boss admitted the mistake sharing - these workplace dynamics call he made, and Sandra took responsibility trust into question. When trust erodes, for her part. Both talked about what they relationships are compromised and people would do to prevent misunderstanding in shut down, pull back, and hesitate to the future. Sandra and her boss were able to engage. Without trust, employees have restore trust and confidence in each other, little interest in being creative, taking and in their relationship. risks and collaborating. That generative In working through the issues and power begins to wane and performance is restoring trust in her relationship with diminished. However, trust can be rebuilt her boss, Sandra was able to refocus on after it's been broken. Indeed, both facets accomplishing the tasks of her job, instead ~6 OD PRACTITIONERVol. ~9 NO.1 2007 FIGURE1: The ReinaTrust & Betrayal Model@ Transactional Trust of worrying aboutwhether shehad one. aspromised and Transactional Trust is: Takingthe time to build and maintain trust ultimately it costthe ~ Reciprocal ("Got to give it to get it") in the workplaceallows employees to focus companyits speed- ~ Created incrementally (step by step) their energieson what they are there to do to-marketadvantage Three Typesof Transactional Trust: and want to do. and its competitive We havedeveloped a Trust & Betrayal position. Model (Reina,D.S. & Reina,M.R., 2006) "Trust of Character" thatprovides a roadmapfor building Communication 0 E:'-;~bli~hbo;;~d~ri~~ "Trust of Capabilily" sustainabletrust. It is sustainabletrust Trust 0 Delegateappropriately . that cultivatesan environmentwhere the Trust influences 0 Encouragemutually serving intentions Allow people to make decisions possibilitiesfor positiveorganizational communication . 0 Keep agreements involve others and seek their inpnt . 0 Be consistent practicecan be realized.The model offers and communication a lens with which to focusdirectly on influences supporting"... the bestin people,their trust. Sharing organizations,and the relevantworld information, /' aroundthem (Cooperrider,D.L. & Whitney, telling the truth, "Tnut of Disclosure" D.2000,S). and speakingwith . Shareinformation. Give and receiveconstructive feedback . Tell tbe truth . Maintain confidentiality good purpose .Admit mistakes. Speakwith good purpose What Builds Trust are examplesof behaviors that create @199S"2007Dennis S. Reina,PhD & Michelle L. Reina,PhD. th f b ,'. "" ., All rightsreserved. No duplication permitted. Excerpted from Trust & Betrayollnthe Workplace: At e core 0 trust wIding IS ralsmg Commumcation BuildingEffective Relationships in Your Organization. 2nded., (Berrett-Koehler) people'sconsciousness of what trust means Trust.When and the behaviorsthat build it. Providing present,workers feel safeto ask questions, In summary, Contractual Trust sets a commonlanguage of trust puts workers honestlyspeak their minds, challenge the tone for engagement and direction on the samepage and cultivatesshared assumptions,raise issues, give and receive and shapes roles and responsibilities. understandingthat supportsconstructive feedback,or acknowledgethat they don't Communication Trust establishes discussionand action planning. A understandand seekhelp. information flow and how people talk behavioralconstruct of trust is essentialto Our researchin overone hundred with one another. CompetenceTrust allows its sustainability. organizations,using trust measuring individuals to leverage and further develop We call trust TransactionalTrust surveys,has found that gossipis the skills, abilities, and knowledge. Everyone in becauseit is an exchangeand it providesa number one killer of Communication an organization is responsible for building foundationfor effectiverelationships and Trust. Nine out of ten peoplein the trust. work results (seeFigure 1). workplaceexperience this particularbreach of trust that createsdamaged relationships When Trust is Broken Contractual Trust and an unhealthy culture. Contractual trust implies mutual We all experience the building and understanding between people; each Competence Trust breaking of trust in personal and work will do what they say they will do. Those responsible for implementing relationships. Trust may break in an Managing expectations, encouraging change need to be involved in designing instant or gradually erode. We define mutually-serving intentions and keeping the change. Minimally, their input needs betrayal as the breach of trust or the agreements are examples of behaviors that to be sought. When a leader seeks an perception of a breach occurring along build contractual trust. When practiced, employee's input the leader demonstrates a continuum from major to minor; employees understand what is expected trust in that individual and the employee's intentional or unintentional (seeFigure of them, roles and responsibilities are confidence in his or her own competence 2). Major betrayals often occur suddenly clear, promises are kept or renegotiated; is nurtured. Trust in the leader is extended and have significant effects. In the work individuals collaborate freely, depend on in return. setting, major unintentional betrayal, each other, and perform consistently. Competence Trust is compromised in particular, is often a by-product of , When staff members focus on through micromanagement and the failure change such as mergers, acquisitions and themselves and lose sight of others, to delegate. Both are oppressive and cause restructuring, resulting in the loss of "life" agreements may not be kept. Failure people to question their sense of belonging. in the organization as people once knew to keep agreements breaks down As a result, workers don't feel free to use it. In these instances, employees often feel collaboration and affects others' ability their knowledge and they feel discounted betrayed because of how the change was to deliver. One of our clients, a global IT and robbed of opportunities to grow and managed, rather than becausethe change leadership team, repeatedly failed to deliver develop. occurred. Building SustainableTrust 37 FIGURE2: The Reina Trust & Betrayal Model@ !!~yal > A breach of trust or the perception of a breach hurt me, I will hurt the systemand the resulting losses.The .From major to minor .Intentionally or unintentionally you. Othersseek failure of managementto acknowledge waysto heal from the loss of relationshipand connection their pain and be during changeis a painful betrayalthat Tr-ansformative motivatedby the workersexperience. When they observe Trust desireto learn, grow perceivedbetrayal and givevoice to the and gain from the experiencedloss, and associatedfeelings losses. of vulnerability,doubt and confusion,they / sendthe messagethat staff do count, and RebuildingTrust thatthey are being heard and are receiving attention. Critical to It is common for leadersto slip sustainingtrust is into justification,rationalization and the ability to rebuild explanationof the businessneeds when ~ it. This requires respondingto the lossof trust. This view 9; healing.A mistake is irresponsible.People