How to navigate corporate trust issues

In our careers, misunderstandings and miscommunications are inevitable. However, the resilience of our professional relationships is tested not by these challenges themselves, but by how we navigate the journey back to mutual trust and respect. I recall a time when a significant misunderstanding with a colleague put a project we were both passionate about at risk. The mix-up stemmed from an email that was intended to clarify roles but ended up causing confusion about responsibilities. Tensions escalated quickly, affecting not only our collaboration but also the project's progress. The key to rebuilding our trust involved several crucial steps: 1. Immediate Acknowledgement: We acknowledged the misunderstanding swiftly without assigning blame. Recognizing the issue openly paved the way for a constructive conversation. 2. Open Communication: We dedicated time to sit down and discuss the misunderstanding openly and honestly. This was not a quick chat between tasks but a focused effort to understand each other’s points of view. 3. Apologizing Where Necessary: Both of us took responsibility for our parts in the misunderstanding. A genuine apology can go a long way in healing professional relationships. 4. Re-establishing Expectations: Together, we revisited and clearly defined our expectations moving forward. This helped prevent similar issues and ensured we were aligned in our project goals. 5. Reinforcing Trust Through Actions: Trust is rebuilt in the small moments. Following the conversation, we made a concerted effort to demonstrate our commitment through reliability, consistent communication, and support for one another. 6. Reflecting and Learning: Finally, this experience became a learning opportunity. We reflected on what went wrong and how we can better handle potential misunderstandings in the future. This incident taught me that trust is not just about believing in someone's abilities or intentions; it's also about the willingness to work through misunderstandings together, with integrity and openness. The concerted effort to repair our working relationship not only salvaged our project but also strengthened our professional bond, making us better collaborators. Have you experienced a similar situation where you had to rebuild trust with a colleague? What actions were key to re-establishing that trust? Sharing your story could inspire others facing similar challenges. https://lnkd.in/e7SRH9Cx

Trust is built in drops and lost in buckets, and we’re running out of buckets. If you're leading teams through #AI adoption, navigating #hybrid work, or just steering through the tempest that is 2025, there's a crucial factor that could make or break your success: #trust. And right now, it's in free fall. Edelman's Trust Barometer showed an "unprecedented decline in employer trust" -- the first time in their 25 years tracking that trust in business fell. It's no surprise: midnight #layoff emails, "do more with less," #RTO mandates, and fears of #GenAI displacement given CEO focus on efficiency are all factors. The loss of #trust will impact performance. The Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp) research shows high performing organizations have 10-11X higher trust between employees and leaders. Trust impacts #engagement, #innovation and #technology adoption, especially AI. My latest newsletter gets beyond the research and into what leaders can do today to start rebuilding trust You can't command-and-control your way through a complete overhaul of how we work... Trust is a two-way street. Leaders need to go first, but we also have to rebuild the gives-and-takes of employer/employee relationships. Three starting points: 1️⃣ Clear Goals, Real Accountability. Stop monitoring attendance and start measuring outcomes. Give teams clear goals and autonomy in how they achieve them. 2️⃣ Transparency with Guardrails. Break down information silos. Share context behind decisions openly - even difficult ones. Establish guardrails for meaningful conversations internally (instead of rock-throwing externally). 3️⃣ Show Vulnerability. Saying "I don't know" isn't weakness–it's an invitation for others to contribute. The word “vulnerability” seems anathema to too many public figures at the moment, who instead are ready to lock themselves in the Octagon with their opponents. But what’s tougher for them: taking a swing at someone, or admitting to their own limitations? This isn't just about CEOs. Great leaders show up at all levels of the org chart, creating "trust bubbles:" pockets of high performance inside even the most challenging environments. If you're one of those folks, thank you for what you do! 👉 Link to the newsletter in comments; please read (it's free) and let me know what you think! #FutureOfWork #Leadership #Management #Culture

Broken trust at work isn't the end. It's a decision point. Will you rebuild, create boundaries, or make a dignified exit? A friend recently asked me: "Can you work with someone you don't trust?" It's a question many leaders face, often leading to a critical decision point: to stay, rebuild, or walk away. At first, I said no. A few moments later, I changed my mind and said, it depends. As an executive coach, I've guided leaders through this exact dilemma. Your options extend beyond fixing it or quitting to knowing when to: ↳ Rebuild (when both parties show willingness to examine their roles) ↳ Stay strategically (even without full trust) ↳ Walk away with dignity (when repeated efforts fail or your well-being suffers) Each pathway requires specific actions. Use the framework below to approach trust breakdowns with clarity and purpose. Most leaders either avoid the conversation entirely or wait too long to make tough decisions. Trust requires mutual effort. Your decision on whether to stay or go should always prioritize your well-being and leadership impact. What's your experience? How have you rebuilt trust at work, or when did you decide it was time to walk away? ♻️ Share this post to help anyone navigating this dilemma. I share posts on human-centered leadership, team dynamics and company culture. Tap the 🔔 icon in my profile and follow me (Michelle Awuku-Tatum) to avoid missing the next one.

So many conversations are missing in organizations because of one thing: trust. When I work with executive teams, they almost always ask how to build trust—and rightly so. Without it, people don’t collaborate, commitments aren’t met, and outcomes fall short. But here’s the tricky part about trust: it’s not always about “do I trust them or not?” It’s nuanced. For instance, you might trust someone’s honesty but doubt their skills in a certain area, or question their overall reliability. This is an important conversation on a team to have, and if I could provide a master key it would be for people to notice what it is that they don’t trust and learn to develop the skill to have a conversation about it. Faced with a missing conversation about competence or honesty, any people get stuck thinking, “I can’t talk about that!” They tiptoe around or avoid the conversation, and their relationships start to deteriorate. But here’s the thing: If you can lead a multi-million dollar deal, you can certainly lead a conversation about trust. Start with observations and focus on next steps: “𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘟, 𝘠, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘡, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐’𝘮 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭𝘴. 𝘊𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥?” Or, “𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘩, 𝘸𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐’𝘮 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦?” Notice how this conversation directly addresses concerns and focuses on what needs to happen to be successful, not on personal blame. This week, ask yourself: Who do you want to build a stronger relationship with to achieve a shared future? What’s holding you back? If it’s trust—don’t wait. Have a conversation. For more on how to talk about trust with your team, check out my conversation with Andrew Skotzko on his podcast, 𝘔𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 (linked in the comments).

Want to build trust in leadership? Here are the 7 topics that, when employees say they trust leadership, they are most likely to also speak about positively, based on correlation analysis of a sample of 3.6 million recent Glassdoor reviews from 2356 of the largest employers in the United States. 1. Strategic clarity: clearly articulate your strategy and make sure employees understand their place in it to gain their trust. 2. Honesty: If you want to be trusted, practice honest, straightforward leadership. Do not go back on your word, and always tell the truth. 3. Frequent communication: Communicate frequently to build trust. Keep employees in the loop. 4. Transparency: Proactively share relevant information with employees to gain their trust. Do not be a closed book. 5. In touch leadership: Walk around the office, be visible, be accessible. Don’t spend all day in an ivory tower. This makes it much easier to trust you. 6. Job security: The most critical issue for trust is job security. If employees feel secure in their jobs, it is much easier to establish a bedrock of trust. To the extent that it is possible, make employees feel secure in their job and sure of their worth. If it is not possible, be as honest and transparent as you can be about the situation to salvage trust, keeping them in the loop. 7. Psychological safety: Creating a psychological safe environment that fosters a candid flow of ideas allows trust to flourish (trust is also a prerequisite for such an environment-- as with other topics on this list, the causality may go both ways). Read Amy Edmondson for tips on how to cultivate.  (All results industry-adjusted. Rs of 0.63, 0.60, 0.54, 0.51, 0.51, 0.51, and 0.44, respectively. P-values all below 0.001)