Trust is a fundamental feeling in life as in work, and must be earned.
Sometimes in work (as in life) it is better not to trust, trust is not always repaid. But we must also be careful, the distrust of others (especially by the leaders towards the employees) can become dangerous anyway.
This attitude threatens to compromise the passage of information, and also to devalue any good actions by the staff.
A climate of distrust between leaders and staff also compromises any prospect of change (of methods, corporate culture, etc.).
Obviously this does not mean that we must blindly trust everyone, it is essential to understand who can be trusted.
Three signs that one is falling into a spiral of distrust are:
– Lack of recognition of improvements (if any) in employee evaluations
– Discouragement about the commitment of others
– Too hasty judgment towards others
Skepticism, in life (often linked to distrust) is not in itself a negative characteristic but if we are constantly skeptical of others we risk only seeing a part of reality.
On this topic, we recommend reading the article “People are more trustworthy than you think” in Strategy + Business.