How can you build a culture of trust during organizational decline?

Transparency and empathy are crucial during tough times. Honest communication builds trust, and understanding the team's concerns is fundamental for resilience.

Communicate and over Communicate. As you know new information pass it down and do not hoard it. Be a resource for employees who may be laid off. Offer letters of recommendation and references. Bird dog new opportunities for these employees at other companies. Let recruiters know your talent is available for work. Spend time working on their resumes, building their LinkedIn profile and rehearse interview questions.

Having the courage to admit the cultural decline is the first step, followed by transparent action where the employee can see that change has been identified as a priority. Authentic leadership that puts employee needs front and centre is integral for trust.

To build or rebuild trust, you need to share the correct information with the correct tone with the right people. I believe in sharing snippets of the financials at different levels of the organisation to give people a good understanding of the reality. But, beware that sharing and tone should not cause panic as you then lose the trust part of the cultural aspect.

Trust that your employees can handle the truth. In my experience, management strives to communicate in a way that will not upset employees which can lead to the sugarcoating mentioned above. Trust that your employees can manage their own discomfort and anxiety. Trust their professionalism. In turn, they will reciprocate that trust.

Establishing a shared vision is pivotal in cultivating a culture of trust. A clear vision provides direction, clarity amidst uncertainty, and a unifying purpose. It empowers employees by offering stability and resilience while demonstrating strong leadership credibility. This shared vision becomes a beacon of hope and help in fostering a culture of trust that is pivotal in navigating and overcoming challenging times.

The shared vision needs to be somewhat vague. In this way, it doesn't restrain people's creativity nor do you have to change the vision if the situation changes.

When times are bleak bring as many people as possible to the table. Do a mapping. Outline quick wins and long term successes. Celebrate benchmarks that work towards the end goal. During this time continue real time updates. Coach the team to be nimble and pivot as needed.

Vision is a large definition that would be reinforce when you keep it simple and understandable. Sometimes long sentences could be shortened by simple words: Keep moving forward :-)

Alignment is what unleashes vision. When there is misalignment, this creates confusion and division. Organizations die, by division (die-vision). Leaders often become consumed by wanting agreement on the team. Agreement is good, but alignment is best. Everyone doesn’t have to agree in order to be aligned. Be the leader that is intentional about alignment at the end of every meeting, every employee one on one, or any interaction. When people are aligned, this unleashes high employee self-activation and enables innovation.

A leader's true character and moral compass are essential in steering their organization through challenging times. A leader who is true to their character instills trust and respect among their team, fostering an environment where honesty and integrity are valued. When facing tough decisions, make sure you are true to yourself!

Here is a quote… James Lane Allen, "Adversity does not build character, it reveals it." As leaders we are so pivotable when times are tough. We are looked to and watched. How are we reacting or acting? What are we modeling?

When your organization is struggling and morale is low, it's more important than ever to highlight the small wins and everyday victories (this is a best practice when business is thriving too). Celebrating wins and finding the gold nuggets, even in dark times, is a muscle that needs to be strengthened. As a leader, you set the tone by spotting and acknowledging big and small wins and amplifying them across your team. Suggestion: Make it a practice to gather wins across your team every week on a shared document. Then share them in team meetings and in company all-hands. This may seem simple, but it reinforces the positive gains and can provide a huge boost to morale. It also builds the practice of looking for wins all the time.

Not only in tough times but in good times celebrate, acknowledge and call out all wins! Gratitude is the most simple yet greatest gift a leader can give their staff.

Appreciation and recognition often are blurred together. Appreciation culture is not rooted in position or based on outcome, but showing gratitude for who someone is or what they do (behavior). Recognition often stems from having to come from a position of authority and based on a result or outcome, hence the reason it is often lacking in many organizations. Appreciation is about having an attitude of gratitude for your people. ????

Acting with integrity is crucial in building a culture of trust during organizational decline. Reflecting on such challenging times in my career, I've learned that honesty and transparency are fundamental. In one instance, our company faced significant market challenges. As part of the leadership team, I advocated for clear, honest communication with the staff. This strategy meant acknowledging the difficulties we faced, the potential impacts on the organization, and the steps we took to address these challenges. By acting with integrity and not shying away from the hard truths, we fostered an environment of trust. Employees were more understanding of the situation and willing to contribute to turnaround efforts.

Transparency enables trust. Even when people might not like what they hear, at least they know who and what they are dealing with. People would rather follow a leader who is real Vs. one who is always right. Be known as the leader who is radically transparent and people will trust in an environment of change. ????

Input creates buy-in. When people are enabled to weigh-in, they are bought-in. Too often, Type-A personalities tend to dominate airtime during meetings. However, some of the most valuable, insightful thoughts come from the quietest minds. A leader who ensures that all voices in the room are heard tends to draw out the most insightful information. ?? Asian proverb: “The one that always speaks, doesn’t know. The one that never speaks, always knows.” ??

I agree that transparency, empathy and trust are needed. But if an org plans to downsize, outsource or reorg, having the decency to give some notice so that impacted employees can make whatever necessary economic or other personal decisions is just being a decent employer. As employers we appreciate the heads up when someone leaves our workforce. Allowing for work transitions is important. But that is a two way street. We should do the same for our employees so that they may have a soft landing elsewhere. If there is fear that employees would somehow sabotage or undermine efforts prior to their departure given advance notice, then there are some bigger issues that need to be addressed in the work place.

J'ajouterais que pour créer de la confiance dans un contexte qui ne s'y prête pas forcément, il est essentiel de dire la vérité. Car les non-dits, ou pire, les faux-semblants, créent forcément de la méfiance. Même si la plupart des gens sont peu conscients de leurs ressentis intuitifs, nous captons tous lorsque la vérité est dite ou dissimulée. C'est souvent la source de confiance ou de défiance, sans forcément pouvoir l'expliquer.

Create and foster an environment of active listening. Allow employees the opportunity to voice their concerns, fears, and ideas. Ensure there is a culture free of judgment, dismissive attitudes, and passive aggressive retaliation. One of the simplest ways to build trust is to listen to each other.