Building Organizational Trust From Within

By Linda Bicho-Vachon

Linda Bicho-Vachon examines what occurs after a whistleblower’s complaint about the safety of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, the company must regain both public and employee trust, emphasizing authentic, transparent communication and addressing concerns to rebuild confidence and enhance productivity, as highlighted by Jacqui d’Eon and exemplified by Oscar Munoz’s leadership at United Airlines.

A whistleblower’s complaint that raised safety concerns about Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner aircraft, revealed that the organization, already in crisis mode, had lost the trust of its employees.

“Boeing’s problem is systemic. It’s cultural,” says Jacqui d’Eon a strategic communications advisor specializing in crises. “There’s a whole lot of things that will need be unpacked before Boeing will ever be able to resolve those issues.”

As the company tries to recover from this crisis, it faces the challenge of regaining the public’s trust in the safety of its airplanes. But first, it needs to earn back the trust of its own employees.

 Just Trust Me

There are benefits to businesses with employees who have a high level of trust in their leaders. A recent survey from the Harvard Business Review showed that high trust organizations saw a 50% increase in productivity, and 76% increase in engagement. When you’re a company trying to get past a crisis, you need employees who are committed to see you through it.

On the contrary, distrustful employees who are less engaged and less productive can negatively impact a company’s ability to do business. In November 2023, 700 of 770 ChatGPT’s employees threatened to leave the company in response to the board of directors’ decision to fire Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sam Altman. Altman was reinstated five days later.

Building trust with employees takes time and is like building up savings in a bank account according to d’Eon.

“You make deposits in the trust bank account in good times so that when it comes time to withdrawal, your balance is a positive one,” she says.

There are some indications that employees’ trust in their managers is waning. A 2022 Lifeworks Survey showed that 1 in 5 Canadians are less trustful of their employers than they were during the pandemic. Leaders clearly have some work to do.

Trust Starts with Listening

When Oscar Munoz took over as CEO at United Airlines, the company was at the centre of a series of passenger-related public relations disasters. He realized that employees had lost support for the company.

“I quickly learned that they (employees) were disenfranchised, disengaged and disillusioned,” Munoz said in an interview on IABC’s PodCatalyst.

To understand what was happening within the organization, Munoz embarked on what he referred to as a “listening tour” to talk to United Airlines staff across all levels of the company.

A willingness to listen to employees can help a leader build more credibility with their employees says d’Eon. These conversations can also reveal new information.

“If they (leaders) take the time to ask questions the problem that they think they have is actually different than the problem they actually have,” she says.

Leaders who commit to listening may find that their employees are more willing to fix problems and offer meaningful solutions. In the case of United Airlines, Munoz took the results of some of his conversations with employees to develop the airline’s new strategic direction.

Steps to Building Trust with Employees

During times of crisis, employees count on their leaders to guide them through the tough times. And while building trust can take time, following some good communication practices can help a new leader get their employees’ support. These practices include:

1. Address employees concerns immediately. Employees may be too worried about their own job security or personal safety to think about anything else. The quicker a company can answer these questions, the sooner an employee can shift their focus towards what needs to be done.“Companies must be willing to answer the ‘me’ questions,” says d’Eon.

2. Be authentic. Communicate to employees in a way that comes easily to you so you can appear genuine in your commitments. Munoz said that his natural ability to reach out and connect with people helped him initiate some difficult conversations with front line staff.

3. Be transparent. If it’s a front-line issue that’s been reported in the media, your employees likely already know the circumstances surrounding the crisis. Be open and honest about your organization’s current reality. “You’ve got to be prepared to build some bridges,” d’Eon says adding that a leader’s transparency and willingness to support solutions will go a long way to building credibility.

4. Share what you know. Some managers may struggle with how much information to share with employees during a crisis. d’Eon advises leaders to “share what you know when you actually know it.” This can also be a chance for leaders address any rumours and end unnecessary speculation.

5. Be vulnerable. When news is difficult, it’s ok to show emotions and compassion. It can also make other people feel safe to express their own feelings. “Leaders are people too,” says d’Eon. “But they also have to be strong enough to lead.”

6. Be clear with your vision. Identify how you’ll right the wrong and outline what steps you’ll take to get there. This will help employees to rally around your cause.

We’re All in This Together

Sometimes a lack of trust between teams prevents a company from resolving its issues. These conflicts can be historical and part of a company’s culture. In this case, the leader’s job is to dismantle any barriers between teams so they can all focus on the same goal.

“The more you can do to build your team and build those interpersonal relationships, then understand the interdependencies, the more likely you are to have trust,” says d’Eon.

Developing a comprehensive communication strategy can help leaders be prepared to speak to employees in the event of a crisis. In addition to outlining guidelines and principles, the strategy can include the tactics for how messages will be delivered, whether it’s by email, virtual or in-person meetings. The document can also help leaders identify the right tone that will connect with employees.

“It’s not about the language that is used but the appreciation about the culture,” says d’Eon.