The Key to Building Trust: OH&S

The Key to Building Trust: Consistent Behavior Over Time: Occupational Health & Safety
With new leaders or new employees, even if the leader’s behaviors are consistent, employees may not trust them yet but will trust their actions. By: Shawn M. Galloway- December, 2023

Have you ever worked for someone you didn’t trust? How motivated were you to give your best? Conversely, when you maintained unshakable trust in your leader and peers, how much discretionary effort did you provide?

Trust is the glue that keeps relationships (personal and professional) together and cultures healthy, and it enables the ability to accomplish astonishing results. Like healthy relationships, trust between people typically forms slowly, over time, based on the consistent experienced behaviors of other individuals. But with a few inconsistencies, trust can be destroyed.With new leaders or new employees, even if the leader’s behaviors are consistent, employees may not trust them yet but will trust their actions. If the leader is inconsistent, employees will trust neither the leader nor their actions. If the leader consistently behaves in a manner viewed as positive, the trust employees have for the leader will grow over time. This formula is PCB over T (Positive, Consistent Behavior Over Time) equals Trust. If the leader’s behavior is consistently negative, employees won’t like them but might sparingly trust them. Employees won’t like or trust the leader if their behavior is inconsistent and negative.

It Just Takes One

A public service client wanted to understand what had led to a culture of toxicity in one of their large service areas, which had previously been one of the most desired areas to work in. One example was that disciplinary offenses for behavior that had been the norm for decades were on the rise. As a result, employees were retaliating against management. A union official even hired a private investigator to “find dirt” on one of the leaders to use against him at work and home.

What led to this? Primarily, it was the new leader who came from a career in labor relations and, unfortunately, developed a deeply rooted mistrust for organized labor and their elected officials. This coupled with an inability to clearly communicate expectations of behaviors and results, and a propensity to publicly discipline first and ask questions later when expectations were not met.

A strong culture of trust was destroyed in six months due to one individual and their leadership style. The service area became known throughout the organization as a place you never want to work in, union or management. I’ve never seen a group punished into excellence or sustainable improvements in performance and culture despite consistent undesirable leadership behaviors. Once the leader left, the process of facilitating healing began, and today it has again become one of the most desirable areas in the group, based on the new leadership’s consistently positive behavior over time.

Click here for the full article on this important topic from Occupational Health & Safety Magazine.