How can you keep trust from eroding in difficult times, when workers are worried about layoffs or diminishing benefits? It's not easy. "You have to be sincere and tell the truth," says Rogers. "You can be optimistic, but you can't mislead." DDI itself had to confront the problem when it recently outsourced a portion of its software development to a company in India, says Rogers.

McCauley says communication and trust go hand-in-hand, and advises managers to "be very frank about the realities of the business, about the tough decisions they may be faced with making." Most employees, he says, understand the challenges of the current business climate; they appreciate candor from the top and a steady flow of information about the business.

If managers don't level with employees, warns McCauley, they'll rely on other sources for information — and that information could be wrong, or incomplete, or presented in a misleading context. Trust may then give way to suspicion, and managers could have a hard time restoring their credibility.

Edward Teach is articles editor of CFO.

A Manager's Guide to Trust

Top Trust-Busting Behaviors:

• Send mixed messages so employees never know where you stand
• Act more concerned about your own welfare than anything else
• Avoid taking responsibility for your actions
• Jump to conclusions without checking the facts first
• Hide information or lie

Top Trust-Building Behaviors:

• Communicate openly and honestly, without distorting any information
• Show confidence in staff abilities by treating them as skilled, competent associates
• Listen to and value what others say, even though you might not agree
• Keep promises and commitments
• Practice what you preach

Source: Development Dimensions International 1997 survey of 1,108 employees (management and nonmanagement) at 57 organizations. Respondents by country: U.S., 80.5%; France and Singapore, 7.8% each; United Kingdom, 4.3%.

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