On almost a daily basis we open a major newspaper and read about an organization that has lost its way because technology, competition or the economy has changed the playing field. We then open a business magazine and we see that a leader has guided its organization into hot water because of poor decision making. To make matters worse an industry trade group comes out with a study from a prominent research firm that says that leaders or politicians have lost the public’s trust.

With these negative headlines filling the news and airwaves, organizations that are doing it right don’t get the proper attention. They haven’t fallen victim to misguided leadership or bad decision-making. Quietly they have been growing their organizations, retaining their talent and opening new markets by investing in their culture and not looking at just the next quarter’s financials.

But their success didn’t happen overnight. Successful organizations, especially those that are trusted, tend to focus on five things that help to create a strong culture:

Consistently communicating
A trusted culture starts with leadership. If leaders are consistent over time with their message their message becomes more trusted. With that trust, employees are more likely to “buy-in” and to help align the organizational culture with organizational goals.

Nurturing talent
An effective leader fosters a trusting culture by actively developing existing and future talent. By aligning the talent with the organization’s culture, it better prepares them and the organization for high performance. If leaders can nurture talent early in their careers, individuals will be more willing to take on increased responsibilities.

Engaging and retaining people
A trusted culture keeps your best and brightest at home. It often takes 2 or more years for an individual to become proficient in their role, and turnover of high performers is incredibly costly in both the short and long terms.  Within a trusted culture, each employee becomes an advocate, an evangelist, and not only doesn’t venture out but actively recruits high performers from your competition.  They believe the organization’s mission, accept its vision and are willing to contribute in a positive manner to help achieve its goals.

Creating energy and enthusiasm
A trusted culture is full of people that are proud of where they work and are energized to get to work and do what they love. If they feel that they work for a trusted organization, they are willing to speak up, go the extra mile, be the next innovative difference maker, and perform day in and day out.

Creating a better place to work
A trusted culture is a better place to work. It becomes known as a place that empowers its employees and gives them educational and leadership opportunities. Employees take pride of ownership and tell others about what they do and who they do it for.

Utilizing a cultural survey like the Trust & Capacity^TM, organizations can tap into real data that clearly illustrates areas where they shine as well as pinpoints areas where they can improve to create a more trusting organization.

An investment in a trusted culture is an investment in the organization. To strengthen an organization’s culture, its leaders must be willing to openly communicate what they are doing and why.  Simply starting there will strengthen the culture and begin building trust.  As that trust grows, it will pay dividends in areas like productivity, retention, innovation, and competitiveness, and organizations will avoid the kind of situations that are repeatedly captured in the headlines.