Trust starts at the top and trickles down through the organization, not the other way around.
by Carl Livesay
For Industry Week
People are a manufacturing business’s greatest asset. They are also the only asset that appreciates in value in direct proportion to investment. We can purchase most anything our businesses need, provided we have the financial resources. Anything except trust.
A positive corporate culture requires trust at its core, and trust must be earned. In a corporate environment, leaders must demonstrate they trust the workforce before the workforce will consider trusting the leadership.
To establish trust, leadership should
1. Communicate physically, verbally and most of all, constantly. Be accessible and take advantage of every opportunity to engage with the workforce face-to-face. This will help to eliminate “us versus them” barriers. Keep your office doors open and demystify administration. Closed doors create doubt.
2. Be kind to everyone all the time. Treat people like people. Treat everyone like the president and the president like everyone. Make it a point to greet people, converse with everyone at different times. Surprise the workforce with unexpected signs of appreciation and gratitude. Make sure the workforce and especially the production floor are first. Leaders should be of service to the workforce. Ask a simple but powerful question often: “How can I help?”
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