Trust: the essential element of a successful organisation?

Waterstons Managing Director, Mike Waterston talks about the role trust plays in the evolution of a successful organisation...

I guess the precursor to providing an answer to the question posed above is the definition of success as far as a commercial enterprise is concerned. In my view success has to encompass more than simply making money; it should also include satisfying the needs of all of the stakeholders including customers, employees and the surrounding community. In fact trust underpins all productive human interaction; without trust a mutually acceptable negotiated settlement, a delighted customer and a committed employee are but pipe dreams. In the limit a lack of trust will lead to disenchanted employees and customers who will frustrate the aim of ongoing financial sustainability by inhibiting a company’s natural ability to adapt to changing market demands and emerging technologies.

In the face of the above it never fails to amaze me that trust is often absent from many relationships that are essential to an organisations survival. Employees aren’t trusted to make decisions critical to the successful delivery of services or pursue ideas of potential value to their employers. People are not judged on their contribution while being denied any influence over the use of their time with the result that comprehensive legislation has had to be introduced to enforce the right to flexible working and minimum holiday entitlement.

In the new world of the knowledge worker things are going to have to change. Organisations will survive by harnessing all of the practical skills and creative talent of the people they employ. To do this they must learn to start judging people on the contribution they are making and to give people the freedom to manage their own work life balance while being encouraged to use their initiative where they see the opportunity.

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