Proverbs
16:20-21 Whoever
gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in
the Lord. The wise of heart is called discerning, and sweetness of speech increases
persuasiveness.
Trust has an important impact on any group or
organization. Trust can be an asset that brings value to all involved. The lack
of trust is a detriment or liability to the organization as well. How trust is
developed will impact the growth and effectiveness of the group. When people
trust one another, there is a greater sense of teamwork and unity. Together people
look out not just for themselves but for others on the team. This creates
momentum in day to day activities and leads to an overarching movement forward
for the group as a whole.
Where there is failure to trust each other, the movement
of the organization begins to slow. People fail to fill in gaps and let things
drop, thinking another person will handle it. The opportunities to succeed are
delayed or lost because everyone is expecting someone else to take action.
Trust is fragile. Once established, it is difficult and
slow to rebuild or reestablish once it is lost or broken. It is a challenge to
build trust between people with varied race, gender, religion, age, wealth or
political orientations. Trust is also difficult for people of varied
responsibilities or duties within the organization. Hourly workers may not
trust their supervisors. Clients may not trust those given the duty of teaching
and mentoring them in their programs. Management may not trust their Board of
Directors. Board members may not trust one another.
Building trust requires integrity, transparency and
respect. Without trust work cannot be delegated effectively and the
organization becomes less and less effective in its mission. Roles for everyone
must be clearly defined in order that people do not lose focus and become
frustrated in their work. Employees who trust management will underperform and
act in their own interests rather than the interests of the mission.
