Trust is easier to gain than to regain.
This is a simple fact borne from the “once bitten twice shy” mentality. It is therefore no surprise that losing trust in any individual or company can have a devastating effect on the relationship and thus lead to a severance in the same.
If the aim of your company is to have your employees lose trust in you, here are some tips to get you going.
Do Not Be Transparent
Transparency is about providing information in a manner where it cannot be perceived that deception is taking place. To not be transparent, one of the simplest things you can do is not share information on a timely basis and instead have employees find out on their own accord. Also, a great way to not be transparent is to have no clear standards for promotion, raises and bonuses.
Tip: Decide to not give a bonus this year. Do not give a reason. They don’t need one anyway.
Make Ridiculous Commitments
They work for you, you work with them. In essence the relationship should be symbiotic, working together for the good of all. Help your employees lose trust in you by making promises to the client that cannot possible be fulfilled. Better yet, do not tell the employee about them until it is almost the deadline.
Tip: Approve a new feature to the client’s application one week before delivery. Of course the team can add easily if they are competent enough.
Never be Available
Every relationship is based on some form of communication. A business
arrangement is no different. When an employee has grouses to discuss, be a good boss, and just disappear. Reschedule the meetings as much as required to annoy the employee, ignore emails, and repetitive calls. In fact, when you see the employee in the hallway, pretend to drink your coffee and look the other way.
Tip: Your employee wanted to talk to you about some issues with his manager. The manager already explained his side of the story so you don’t want to hear another. Ignore him as much as possible until he gets the picture.
Make It All About You
Your employee is too self centered anyway. Why should it be about him always? Who cares if he has a family, has a root-canal tomorrow or needs a day for his brother’s funeral. Every business person knows “business over anything else”, right?
Tip: The employee doesn’t have to work long shifts, do conferences out of town or always be available by email. Why should he demand few days off for an ’emergency’. Don’t be afraid to tell him ‘no’.
Follow the steps above and become a Black-Belt superstar in the area of “Companies We Will Never Trust”. If that was the intention all along then you have passed the course with full colors. If this wasn’t the intention of your company, then look out for my next post on how to “Fix My Employees’ Trust Issues”.
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Joedian Reid is a software developer with a more human side. In addition to her love for the in-animate and millions of lines of code, she likes writing – words. As a freelance writer she has written thousands of words for clients over the globe in product/business and technical content.
Follow and gain insights as she turns her freelance writing into a hobby to enlighten others along the path of her own career.
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