t one thing is for sure once trust begins to fade in one area of a business it tends to evolve into a widespread issue. You know how it goes; you do not trust me so I do not trust you and so on and so on.

The bottom line is this: if you are fortunate enough to work in a trusting work environment, take the

When I think of trust, things like integrity, faith, belief and confidence come to mind. As an employee I want to feel secure that I will be heard, understood and accepted. As an employer I want my staff to do the right thing, to believe in me and be confident in my decisions. As a customer I want to know that the company I am doing business with will provide the services or products they promise, with integrity and confidence. Trust supports our business efforts and breeds success. Without trust it is hard to imagine that a business could succeed.

So why is it such a challenge to maintain trust in the workplace and the community we serve? There are many reasons but the almighty ego is high on my list of culprits. In business, competition can be healthy, or not. Inflated egos can instigate un-healthy competition; it is not long before the resulting malcontent begins to foster a loss of trust. When trust is lacking in the work environment the business agenda can be easily overlooked. When trust is lost (or was never there to begin with) we risk losing the edge we need to thrive. It is hard to figure where loss of trust begins (and it is unimportant as well because it requires that we assign blame, which only makes things worse) but one thing is for sure once trust begins to fade in one area of a business it tends to evolve into a widespread issue. You know how it goes; you do not trust me so I do not trust you and so on and so on.

The bottom line is this: if you are fortunate enough to work in a trusting work environment, take the t

he company I am doing business with will provide the services or products they promise, with integrity and confidence. Trust supports our business efforts and breeds success. Without trust it is hard to imagine that a business could succeed.

So why is it such a challenge to maintain trust in the workplace and the community we serve? There are many reasons but the almighty ego is high on my list of culprits. In business, competition can be healthy, or not. Inflated egos can instigate un-healthy competition; it is not long before the resulting malcontent begins to foster a loss of trust. When trust is lacking in the work environment the business agenda can be easily overlooked. When trust is lost (or was never there to begin with) we risk losing the edge we need to thrive. It is hard to figure where loss of trust begins (and it is unimportant as well because it requires that we assign blame, which only makes things worse) but one thing is for sure once trust begins to fade in one area of a business it tends to evolve into a widespread issue. You know how it goes; you do not trust me so I do not trust you and so on and so on.

The bottom line is this: if you are fortunate enough to work in a trusting work environment, take the

nd the community we serve? There are many reasons but the almighty ego is high on my list of culprits. In business, competition can be healthy, or not. Inflated egos can instigate un-healthy competition; it is not long before the resulting malcontent begins to foster a loss of trust. When trust is lacking in the work environment the business agenda can be easily overlooked. When trust is lost (or was never there to begin with) we risk losing the edge we need to thrive. It is hard to figure where loss of trust begins (and it is unimportant as well because it requires that we assign blame, which only makes things worse) but one thing is for sure once trust begins to fade in one area of a business it tends to evolve into a widespread issue. You know how it goes; you do not trust me so I do not trust you and so on and so on.

The bottom line is this: if you are fortunate enough to work in a trusting work environment, take the

work environment the business agenda can be easily overlooked. When trust is lost (or was never there to begin with) we risk losing the edge we need to thrive. It is hard to figure where loss of trust begins (and it is unimportant as well because it requires that we assign blame, which only makes things worse) but one thing is for sure once trust begins to fade in one area of a business it tends to evolve into a widespread issue. You know how it goes; you do not trust me so I do not trust you and so on and so on.

The bottom line is this: if you are fortunate enough to work in a trusting work environment, take the

t one thing is for sure once trust begins to fade in one area of a business it tends to evolve into a widespread issue. You know how it goes; you do not trust me so I do not trust you and so on and so on.

The bottom line is this: if you are fortunate enough to work in a trusting work environment, take the time to understand why it is that way and do whatever you must to keep it that way. If not, make every effort to restore trust. Start by letting go of your ego (this process is infectious; get it going and it will multiply nicely); forget about trying to figure out who is responsible and just get back to the basics. As leaders of course, we must be mindful of the needs of our employees, our customers and our business goals. We know and we must respect that our goals are heavily dependent upon the way in which we utilize our human resources and interact with our customers.

Fostering an environment in which trust thrives is an investment in the long-term success of your business. It is an investment you cannot afford to pass up. Trust is a two way process; it is as important to you as a leader as it is to the most subordinate employee or the most infrequent customer.

Take advantage of your position as a leader. Be a role model; ensure that trust is relevant, viable and expected in your workplace. In turn you will be rewarded with the trust you desire as well.