By Joanie Connell
There are many reasons to distrust people, but what are some reasons to trust them? The biggest reason to trust people is because we are more productive when we cooperate. This is true at the individual level, the team level, the organization level, and at the societal level. Humans are a social species; we are designed to live in groups, share responsibilities, and exchange goods and services with each other. We can’t do it all on our own. We do better when we build trusting relationships with others.
In terms of organizational language, the gains from trust can far outweigh the savings from distrust. Organizations need leaders who are transparent to increase innovation and share information responsibly. In today’s on-line world, employees can leak private information to anyone with simply a keystroke. Leaders need to be open, honest, and responsible with information and they need to be able to trust their employees to do the same.
Research on trust shows that trust predicts many desirable outcomes for organizations. At the employee level, increased trust corresponds with increased levels of job performance, prosocial behavior, organizational commitment, and commitment to a leader’s decisions. At the company level, higher levels of trust correspond to greater organizational performance, profitability, and customer satisfaction.
Even at the most basic level, trust is desirable because it can lead to better health. Think about it. When you trust and cooperate with people, you are less stressed than when you are worried about every little detail that others are handling and whether they are trying to stab you in the back. If something goes wrong, you trust that you can handle it. Isn’t that a better way to live?
