Trust in the Modern Workplace

There is an intimate connection between trust and belonging in the workplace. How can we expect anyone to develop a strong sense of belonging at work if they don’t feel trusted by their peers, managers, and leaders?

With the COVID-19 pandemic coloring every decision and every interaction in the workplace, the topic of trust has taken on renewed urgency. Every organization is different, but trust is a universal element required for success, especially in times of uncertainty like today. Consider:

• If we’re going to continue to ask employees to come to a physical workplace throughout the pandemic, trust is necessary.
• If we’re going to call white collar employees back to the office, trust is necessary.
• If we’re going to adopt permanent work-from-anywhere policies or hybrid work models, trust is necessary.

In the following pages, think about trust at your workplace. As a people manager—or aspiring people manager—do you assume competence in your teams and colleagues? Do you assume good intentions in your interactions? Do you think about the impact that trust has on a day in, day out basis?

We pursued this project with our research partners at Workplace Intelligence because trust is more important than ever. And we wanted to encourage everyone—especially leaders—to reevaluate presumptions about trust in the workplace. When we have trust, we can begin to achieve special things.