One Easy Way to Lose Employee Trust

There are countless ways in which organizations can undermine the trust of their employees, some of which are more apparent than others. (Mass layoffs? Yes. False promises from leadership? Check. Excessive micromanagement with no autonomy? Absolutely.) However, as Simon reveals, there is at least one way you may be unintentionally eroding the trust of your troops that can be easily avoided. What’s more, even well-intentioned leaders make this error all the time. As Simon explains, “I’ve never met a CEO who doesn’t consider their people important. The issue lies in where they prioritize their people within the hierarchy.”

Having spent countless hours within organizations, Simon has gained valuable insights into how top leaders prioritize their business, purpose, and goals. “I’ve seen so many corporate presentations where CEOs outline their ‘priorities,'” he says. “Usually, number one is growth, number two is shareholder value, number three is the customer, and number four is ‘our employees.'”

Even if the priorities are not explicitly ranked in such a way, the emphasis on “our employees” is almost invariably mentioned last. 

Related: If you’re looking to build a strong culture within your organization, don’t miss the 50+ courses from The Optimism Library, which include world-class lessons on trust, innovation, and leadership. 

While this may seem well-intentioned, it immediately undermines the value of your employees. “You can claim to care about your people because they’re listed at number four,” Simon says. “However, the issue lies in the hierarchy of that list, which raises the question: Are you willing to sacrifice your people to achieve a target? That’s what the list implies, and that’s the message it conveys to those working within the organization.”

It’s simply a fact that if employees do not feel valued, cared for, or prioritized by the company, it becomes unrealistic to expect them to reciprocate those sentiments towards the company. This lack of trust hinders the cultivation of a positive work environment, employee satisfaction, and the attainment of optimal performance.

“In organizations that consistently outperform their competitors, the well-being of their people takes precedence,” says Simon. “They prioritize protecting their employees over short-term gains.”