Workplaces thrive amid respect, trust

We all need to manage our workplaces, from basic office supplies to inventory for the kitchen, in order for them to run smoothly. With workforce shrinkage being a real issue in business today, this can become a huge task. But, on the flip side, the more employees you have, the tighter the systems must be to control little things that make a big difference.

Consider the following:

Executives did not want to order business cards for a new staff member until they were sure the relationship would be a long-term one. While blank cards and a typewriter was one solution, it seemed a bit demeaning and unprofessional to have a high-profile employee typing her name on cards. The worst part: This ended up not being a short-term thing. She was still typing her name after five years on the job.

Yellow legal pads, as well as other office supplies, were kept under lock and key, causing employees to request items as they needed them. The “office supply troll” grilled staff and monitored their requests. One day, the keeper of the keys was off, and several pieces of equipment needed new batteries. The staff took up a collection to buy some.

If you can relate to these scenarios, I have a question for you: What do you think you’re doing to that important trust component in your relationship with your employees? You may save $200 over the course of a year in abuse of yellow legal pads, but at what expense?

When you treat staff like children rather than professionals, what kind of behavior are you cultivating?

Funny thing, such companies usually are the first to complain about lack of loyalty and buy-in from their workers.

So, how do you maintain workplace control and build trust at the same time?

You don’t have to hand the keys over to every employee to be sure all bases are covered, but if your culture is one of mutual respect and trust, your employees will appreciate that trust and become the best monitors of abuse.

Conversely, if you begin your relationship by letting them know there is no trust, they won’t trust you.

Does your workplace culture send the message that you hire professionals and treat your employees as such? Or do you tell them, “We hire unethical people, and trust is not in our culture.”

What happens if you discover a problem, like too much wasted time on the Internet, or personal, rather than professional, use of legal pads and sticky notes?

If your culture is one of accountability and trust, make everyone (including the probable offenders) part of the solution. Take the issue to your staff and ask them what to do. Use the correct framing so you get the kind of input and self- regulation you want.

For example, if misuse of company computers is the problem, ask your staff for a solution using an approach similar to this:

“We have noticed a decline in productivity over the excellent performance of the prior quarter. One of the probable causes is extended Internet use in non-productive areas. The last thing the management team and I want to do is start setting up all sorts of filters and monitors … You’re all professionals; why would we take such a step when there are just a few isolated cases? Because you all know the work better than anyone, what do you suggest we do so this doesn’t continue to erode our success?”

Empowerment feels pretty good — much better than taking punitive action without seeking input.

Small people focus on the small stuff, ignoring what these little things do to the big picture.

Assess your big picture, and then tackle the small stuff with help from your entrusted staff, and begin to see the difference that trust makes.