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Increase trust, reduce fear

“The most critical challenge for any organization is to enlarge the circle of trust.”

Command-and-control systems reflect a deep mistrust of employees’ commitment and competence. They also tend to overemphasize sanctions as a way of forcing compliance. That’s why so many organizations are filled with anxious employees who are hesitant to take the initiative or trust their own judgment. Organizational adaptability, innovation, and employee engagement can only thrive in a high-trust, low-fear culture. In such an environment, information is widely shared, contentious opinions are freely expressed, and risk taking is encouraged. Fear paralyzes, mistrust demoralizes—they must be wrung out of our management systems.

124 Stories
236 Hacks
22 Barriers

Increase trust, reduce fear

“The most critical challenge for any organization is to enlarge the circle of trust.”

Command-and-control systems reflect a deep mistrust of employees’ commitment and competence. They also tend to overemphasize sanctions as a way of forcing compliance. That’s why so many organizations are filled with anxious employees who are hesitant to take the initiative or trust their own judgment. Organizational adaptability, innovation, and employee engagement can only thrive in a high-trust, low-fear culture. In such an environment, information is widely shared, contentious opinions are freely expressed, and risk taking is encouraged. Fear paralyzes, mistrust demoralizes—they must be wrung out of our management systems.

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Decision-makers. Executive teams. Champions. These groups are vital to making change work. However, if you don’t include the larger group, you miss out.
Hack by Tricia Emerson on January 20, 2011
It is no secret that happy employees have more chances to stay longer within the company. Which means employee retention rates for managers who keep their employees happy tend to be high.
Story by Barret Selby on November 21, 2017
In its new business groups, Applied Materials has changed the way decisions are made.  Each week in the Solar Business Group, a technology roadmap/strategy meeting is held with all levels of empl
Story by Brendan McComb on September 16, 2010
Taking responsibilities makes everyone feel important.
Hack by Alexis Nicolas on October 25, 2010
José may be a typical Latin name, but in this story of a Mexican doing business in Brazil is not a very common one. For one thing he chose to strive in an Emergent Economy.
Story by Volney Faustini on September 21, 2010
In areas where obsolescence is quick and products and services have lifetime very short, why spending effort and resources writing, signing, registering contracts that will be useless pretty soon?
Hack by Miguel Sacramento on May 1, 2010
The meetings we endured and designed, added to frustrations and stress in an already caustic work place.
Story by Ellen Weber on July 31, 2010
How to create a culture of trust within an organization
Story by Matt Shlosberg on May 1, 2010
Analogous to what augmented reality is to reality, the augmented leader will soon be with us. It is not a super human hero with chips installed in his brain.
Hack by dominique Turcq on June 30, 2011
Games are finally recognized as a very powerfull dynamic to improve productivity and ease change management while keeping people happy and committed.
Hack by Alexis Nicolas on November 3, 2010

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