NH Business Review Column: Defeating a Climate of Distrust

“We trust social media more than our neighbors,” someone commented at a recent Braver Angels workshop that was seeking to find common ground on trustworthy elections.

That statement barely raised an eyebrow among the diverse political activists in attendance, but it is a profound recognition of where our country stands today. Can you really trust anyone any more, and where do you go to find someone or something to believe in?

The old bumper sticker “Question Authority” feels so inadequate to describe where we stand as a nation these days. I once found that phrase to be a quaint assertion to politely ask questions, verify data, and hold leaders accountable. Today, that same message (if anyone chose to use it) would likely convey total disdain – throw the bums out, no questions required.

What about trust in the workplace? Polling by the Gallup organization has found that only 23% of American workers strongly agree that they trust the leadership of their organization. Only 33% strongly agree that, "My company would never lie to our customers or conceal information that is relevant to them." Yikes!

I occasionally read the cartoon Dilbert and have noticed that series becoming even more cynical than in the past. A recent sequence focused on increasing company earnings by making customer returns more difficult -- including requiring a defective item to be sent back in “the plastic bag you threw away when you unwrapped it.”     

I sometimes wonder how businesses and institutions can survive in this negative climate. In his classic book “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” Stephen Covey writes, “It simply makes no difference how good the rhetoric is or even how good the intentions are; if there is little or no trust, there is no foundation for permanent success.”  

You can read more in my recent column in the New Hampshire Business Review here.