The other day, someone was talking on a radio show about the fact that firms and employees no longer trust each other.   Employees have been “right sized” and jobs have been offshored on the one hand. Firms have seen employees shop for better compensation and benefits on the other hand. Both sides feel that they have few choices. They are “victims” of the situation. Well, as long as people and firms are “victims,” they have no control over the situation.
If trust has value, firms and employees need to step up and say so. Then, they need to take ownership of their results, and to walk their talk. How do they do this? As a starting point, they need to take a step back and ask whether they have acted in a manner that is worthy of the other side’s trust. Have employees left firms in order to get more money? Have employers bled qualified individuals in order to generate more revenue? The past cannot be undone, but it can be learned from and remembered so that it will not be repeated.
Wall Street places tremendous pressure on firms. Many of us are investors, either directly or through our retirement plans. Firms are feeling pressued to maximize profits and long-term planning is occurring in 90 day increments. We have the ability to say, “Stop. Enough is enough.” Do we have the guts to do that though? It could cut into our lifestyle, after all, at least in the short-term. In the world of “me,” we seldom do things that will hurt our lifestyles in the short-term. Look at Washington, if you have any doubts about that. (And, this comment is equally applicable to Republicans and Democrats, the President, and the Congress.)Â
Trust and vision are the things that help people take a long-term perspective in a short-term world. They are the things that allow people to compromise on self-interest today, in exchange for a better tomorrow for everyone. What is the value of trust? It is the value of a child’s smile, an employee’s effort, a moment shared with a friend, and a new treatment for a disease.Â
When employees are able to live, free to standout, and allowed to care, they are also able to enjoy work, care about their work, and think about things that are untried and unproven, things that might be… unsuccessful.  What is the value of that? Innovation, improvement, and advancement requires people to take such chances. Is willingness to do so a better option than living like rats in a maze scurrying around trying to find the cheese, only to find that someone as moved the cheese?
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