Why Corporations Must Earn Our Trust

Companies stopped investing in people and lost more than they gained

When I previously wrote about earning trust with co-workers, a friend, a true leader in the public policy field, called to suggest that a closely related and equally important subject is restoring corporate trust.

I immediately went to sit on my front porch and think about his observation. I absolutely agree. The state of corporate morality is at a critical juncture, and there’s a real need for companies to commit to the long-term process of regaining lost trust.

Can it be done? Not easily, that’s for sure. With pressure from Wall Street to maximize earnings every 90 days, it will take special leadership of any publically traded company to restore trust.

Here’s the background from my standpoint. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, many companies in the United States were striving to improve customer service, productivity, processes, and employee satisfaction—as well as to help their people grow and succeed. Very admirable objectives, for sure. This was the total quality management movement that was gaining great attention.

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Comments

Inspiring Article

John,

Amazing perspective on this lost issue. I recently left this numbers corporation who was at the helm of the investors and now working for a team that builds up their people. This is not only what i have been yearning for but also what i have yearned for my team. Exactly what you stated is what i am trying to do. While not everyone will see it hopefully creating that team that you inspire and lean on will translate to future endeavors. Not all corporation can be great but a great corporation can be for all its employees. Thank you for such a well written and of value article. Keep up the good work.

Loyalty to Corp

I remember talking with a senior VP of a large multinational construction company years ago. He was talking about how employees were moving around on jobs and not loyal to the corporation as they used to be. I mentioned that the corporation wasn't loyal to the employees either, with multiple layoffs and RIFs. He looked at me like that had never occurred to him, but was an interesting idea.

I can quickly name companies where that loyalty went south as soon as the founders were no longer in the picture. HP, CH2M Hill and Les Schwab. The founders had worked hard to generate that trust and loyalty, but once they were gone, new management changed things for the bottom line and lost that whole culture.