Leadership For The Future

12/07/2013

Trust drives high performance

A recent report published by Working Families, an organisation which campaigns for better work-life balance, looked at the link between long-term sustainable performance within businesses and individual performance.  The report found a clear link between individual performance, their level of trust and the overall level of productivity.

Trust: the key to building well-being and performance in the workplace found that trust between staff and their employer is “critical” for driving high levels of performance and motivation and went on to identify eight drivers for building trust.  These included:-  

Belong and connect The feeling that the   employee feels part of and connected to their team and the business 
Voice and recognition The individual’s   ability to speak up in a way that allows them to influence decision-making 
Significance and position The employees’ sense   that they have a clear and important role in their team 
Fairness The understanding that   individuals are evenly treated within their team and the business 
Learn and challenge The opportunity to   learn and master new skills and achieve tangible results 
Choice and autonomy The sense of control   over workplace delivery and their own role 
Security and certainty The sense of   predictability and confidence in the workplace environment 
Purpose The understanding of   how an individual’s role contributes and is aligned to the team and business’   success

Employers need to consider all eight of these trust drivers to move towards optimal performance.  However, “truly understanding how individuals are motivated at work provides not just the gateway to optimal performance, something sought by every organisation, but also an environment where every person can flourish,” their lead researcher and consultant said.

How do you think your organisation compares alongside these drivers?  Does your organisation have an environment where staff thrive and flourish or is there more you need to do to cultivate a culture of trust?

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