as, “hold on—let me think for a moment,” or “Let’s figure this out…” Take a deep breath, count to ten, then you can process the information without wasting energy on blaming or exploding.

For those non-emergency situations, the solution is simple: Set boundaries and a specific time to handle disputes or problems. That way, you are consciously aware of your commitment to appear consistent and in control. Sometimes the issue at hand is more important to you than it is to the employee and vice versa. If th

The dry cleaners lost your favorite pair of slacks, the computer tech never returned your call, your health club changed hours without a warning and the drive through gave you root beer instead of diet coke. Breech of trust happens every day to us as consumers yet we are often unaware of our own mistakes and the ripple effect it has on our daily operation at work. If you have ever wondered what is missing when morale is low and communication is weak, take a look at the trust levels. When trust levels are high, communication is effortless and when trust levels are low, even the best communicators will be unsuccessful.

Without trust there is no communication. Trust is based on information, previous experiences and past history. Here are five trustbusters that crack communication and the solutions to restore trust so that you can boost morale.

Trustbuster #1 Inconsistency

Inconsistency shows up in various ways including policies and procedures, some of which might be difficult to control, however it also shows up in the way we act during trying times. These actions and behaviors include mood swings, irritability and being unapproachable. One particular manager in a distribution plant had a habit of speaking in a rude tone then hanging up on employees who called in sick. This branded him as unapproachable with a lack of personal control. While no one should expect you to be a Pollyanna when you are disappointed in employees, as a leader it’s important to set the standard. William Penn said that no man is fit to command another that cannot command himself.

Two general types of challenges you face as a manager include the emergency that must be faced head on and the other issues involving employee complaints and disciplinary problems. Since emergencies and unexpected crisis’s catch us off guard it is important to create a strategy. Make a conscious, (as Phil McGraw would say,) life- decision as to how you will react or respond. The decision might include a statement that shows you are in charge such as, “hold on—let me think for a moment,” or “Let’s figure this out…” Take a deep breath, count to ten, then you can process the information without wasting energy on blaming or exploding.

For those non-emergency situations, the solution is simple: Set boundaries and a specific time to handle disputes or problems. That way, you are consciously aware of your commitment to appear consistent and in control. Sometimes the issue at hand is more important to you than it is to the employee and vice versa. If the

, communication is effortless and when trust levels are low, even the best communicators will be unsuccessful.

Without trust there is no communication. Trust is based on information, previous experiences and past history. Here are five trustbusters that crack communication and the solutions to restore trust so that you can boost morale.

Trustbuster #1 Inconsistency

Inconsistency shows up in various ways including policies and procedures, some of which might be difficult to control, however it also shows up in the way we act during trying times. These actions and behaviors include mood swings, irritability and being unapproachable. One particular manager in a distribution plant had a habit of speaking in a rude tone then hanging up on employees who called in sick. This branded him as unapproachable with a lack of personal control. While no one should expect you to be a Pollyanna when you are disappointed in employees, as a leader it’s important to set the standard. William Penn said that no man is fit to command another that cannot command himself.

Two general types of challenges you face as a manager include the emergency that must be faced head on and the other issues involving employee complaints and disciplinary problems. Since emergencies and unexpected crisis’s catch us off guard it is important to create a strategy. Make a conscious, (as Phil McGraw would say,) life- decision as to how you will react or respond. The decision might include a statement that shows you are in charge such as, “hold on—let me think for a moment,” or “Let’s figure this out…” Take a deep breath, count to ten, then you can process the information without wasting energy on blaming or exploding.

For those non-emergency situations, the solution is simple: Set boundaries and a specific time to handle disputes or problems. That way, you are consciously aware of your commitment to appear consistent and in control. Sometimes the issue at hand is more important to you than it is to the employee and vice versa. If th

t also shows up in the way we act during trying times. These actions and behaviors include mood swings, irritability and being unapproachable. One particular manager in a distribution plant had a habit of speaking in a rude tone then hanging up on employees who called in sick. This branded him as unapproachable with a lack of personal control. While no one should expect you to be a Pollyanna when you are disappointed in employees, as a leader it’s important to set the standard. William Penn said that no man is fit to command another that cannot command himself.

Two general types of challenges you face as a manager include the emergency that must be faced head on and the other issues involving employee complaints and disciplinary problems. Since emergencies and unexpected crisis’s catch us off guard it is important to create a strategy. Make a conscious, (as Phil McGraw would say,) life- decision as to how you will react or respond. The decision might include a statement that shows you are in charge such as, “hold on—let me think for a moment,” or “Let’s figure this out…” Take a deep breath, count to ten, then you can process the information without wasting energy on blaming or exploding.

For those non-emergency situations, the solution is simple: Set boundaries and a specific time to handle disputes or problems. That way, you are consciously aware of your commitment to appear consistent and in control. Sometimes the issue at hand is more important to you than it is to the employee and vice versa. If th

is fit to command another that cannot command himself.

Two general types of challenges you face as a manager include the emergency that must be faced head on and the other issues involving employee complaints and disciplinary problems. Since emergencies and unexpected crisis’s catch us off guard it is important to create a strategy. Make a conscious, (as Phil McGraw would say,) life- decision as to how you will react or respond. The decision might include a statement that shows you are in charge such as, “hold on—let me think for a moment,” or “Let’s figure this out…” Take a deep breath, count to ten, then you can process the information without wasting energy on blaming or exploding.

For those non-emergency situations, the solution is simple: Set boundaries and a specific time to handle disputes or problems. That way, you are consciously aware of your commitment to appear consistent and in control. Sometimes the issue at hand is more important to you than it is to the employee and vice versa. If th

as, “hold on—let me think for a moment,” or “Let’s figure this out…” Take a deep breath, count to ten, then you can process the information without wasting energy on blaming or exploding.

For those non-emergency situations, the solution is simple: Set boundaries and a specific time to handle disputes or problems. That way, you are consciously aware of your commitment to appear consistent and in control. Sometimes the issue at hand is more important to you than it is to the employee and vice versa. If the issue is important to you, then you set the appointment in your calendar. If the issue at hand is more important to the employee but not necessarily to you, put the monkey on their back, by telling the discontented employee to come to you before the end of the shift to schedule the appointment. Beware of saying that you have an ‘open door policy’ then acting cranky or unavailable when you get disrupted. Be realistic. Instead of trying to make workers buy into the fantasy, create some guidelines for your ‘open door.’ This lets you take charge of what is important and helps you empower your employees to take charge of issues that are important to them.

Trustbuster #2 Broken Promises

Simple as it sounds don’t make promises you can’t or don’t intend to keep. Mistakes in this area happen subtly: “I’m on your side, “ or “I’ll support you all the way.” Miriam was finishing her graduate degree and wanted to move up in the company that held little opportunity. After talking to her business unit manager about her goals she was pleasantly surprised that he agreed to do anything to help her achieve her goals. The time came when Miriam asked for a leave of absence to finish her degree, (after all, he said anything.) So she went through the proper channels and the final decision rested with the business unit manager. When it came time to ask for the decision the business unit manager passed the buck, making employees wonder who’s in charge. The moral is don’t make promises you don’t have the power to keep, or promises that might put you in a compromising position with your associates. It will come back to bite you.

Trustbuster #3 Poor Follow-through

Poor follow-through is a diluted example of broken promises. Diluted, because it is subtler and almost universally accepted in our society. The precursor is statements such as: “I’ll get back with you,” or “I’ll let you know as soon as I find out.” Before long it doesn’t really seem that important to the promise maker while the other person is waiting patient