Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
If you haven’t seen it, the 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer reveals that 70% of individuals are unwilling or hesitant to trust someone who has different values, facts, problem-solving approaches, or cultural background. Creating trust is hard. Restoring trust when it’s been broken is even harder. But trust can be improved. Whether you’re an individual or an organization, here are a few things you can do.
- Have an ethical compass. I realize that ethics might have a level of subjectivity. What I believe is unethical, someone else might feel is fine. The good news is that most organizations and professional associations have ethical standards that we can turn to for guidance. Ethics help us define appropriate behavior. Inappropriate behavior erodes trust. If we want employees, managers, and organizations to act ethically, then we need to know their ethical standard and hold them accountable to it.
- Know when to confront an issue and when to let it go. Everything isn’t meant to be a battle. Sometimes people say things just to see if they can “push a few buttons”. Knowing when to ignore someone’s antics is important. Equally important is knowing when to stand up for something. Just because someone is a client, customer, manager, or co-worker doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be held accountable for their actions. People do not have to be shamed publicly but they do need to account.
- Respect people even when you disagree with them. I believe it’s possible to hold someone accountable and still be respectful. Accountability is not a form of punishment. At least, it doesn’t have to be. When we disagree, we can still express our differences in a respectful way. If we find ourselves constantly disagreeing, then we might need to make some other decisions. But even then, we can treat each other in a respectful fashion.
- Keep confidential things confidential. And when you can’t, tell the other person in advance. People want to know that when they say, “Let’s keep this between us.” that the other person will respect their wishes. Now I will admit, this can be especially challenging in human resources. If someone says something like “I’m being harassed.”, HR cannot keep it secret. But they can tell the person why they can’t maintain confidentiality. Building trust is about being honest.
- When your views change, let others know. I’m not saying that people aren’t entitled to change their mind. If your position on something changes or evolves, let those who need to know…know. Let’s say you’re a manager. What’s confusing to employees is when the manager has one opinion on Tuesday and a different one on Wednesday, with absolutely no conversation in between. They don’t know what the manager stands for. More importantly, they don’t know when the manager is going to support them.
- Be organized and follow through. If I had a dollar for every time someone said, “I’m going to send you…” or “I’m going to do this…” – but they don’t – then I’d be rich by now. I’m sure you know people who do the same thing. Building trust is about doing what you say you’re going to do. If you say that you’re going to send something…send it. If you promise an employee something, do it. They expect you to keep your word.
While I hope this list is easy to read, it’s not an easy to do list. I don’t know that any of us will be able to simply check these actions off like a grocery list. It will take time and regular reminders. But it’s worth the effort because our trustworthiness is too important.
Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the streets of Orlando, FL
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