Trust and transparency - the key to developing a positive workplace culture

A positive workplace culture is something that many senior leaders strive to embed in their companies, but all too often, it’s easy to miss the mark. We’ve all heard the stories of organizations that paper over a less-than-desirable culture with surface-level perks, like office pool tables and a Friday drinks trolley. But what does it take to build an authentically positive workplace culture? The foundation, we’d argue, is rooted in trust and transparency, and organizations who don’t recognize this can easily find themselves in a position where they’re both losing top talent and struggling to attract new employees, as they grapple with a culture of disengagement.  Trust is so important, in fact, that a recent study found companies with high trust levels outperform companies with low trust levels by a staggering 186%!

So, how can organizations, and the decision-makers at the heart of them, promote these two key values and ultimately nurture a positive work environment as a result? Check out our tips below. 

Creating an environment where colleagues feel not only safe to share feedback, concerns and suggestions, but encouraged to, has multiple benefits. When your team feel like their opinions matter, there’s a psychological safety, meaning you’re much more likely to have a steady stream of innovative and fresh ideas on how the organization can improve, because everyone feels empowered to contribute- not just those already in a position of influence.

The feeling of being part of something bigger than yourself (and knowing you have the ability to enact real change) is also a huge motivator, benefiting colleagues’ self-esteem and helping them to feel more connected to their work- rather than just a proverbial ‘cog’ in the machine. There are lots of ways to encourage feedback, dependent on the size and needs of your organization. For example, a monthly anonymous online feedback form could encourage employees to be honest about areas they’re unsatisfied with and suggest areas of improvement without having to be personally identified. You could also implement regular workshops or employee ‘forums’- particularly if you’re looking for real-time feedback from a large group of people. The key to receiving authentic feedback is to make sure staff are aware that their opinions matter, but without fear of negative consequences - this was echoed by the Harvard Business Review, which found that 42% of people withhold information if they feel that they have something to lose or nothing to gain.