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Increase trust, reduce fear

“The most critical challenge for any organization is to enlarge the circle of trust.”

Command-and-control systems reflect a deep mistrust of employees’ commitment and competence. They also tend to overemphasize sanctions as a way of forcing compliance. That’s why so many organizations are filled with anxious employees who are hesitant to take the initiative or trust their own judgment. Organizational adaptability, innovation, and employee engagement can only thrive in a high-trust, low-fear culture. In such an environment, information is widely shared, contentious opinions are freely expressed, and risk taking is encouraged. Fear paralyzes, mistrust demoralizes—they must be wrung out of our management systems.

124 Stories
236 Hacks
22 Barriers

Increase trust, reduce fear

“The most critical challenge for any organization is to enlarge the circle of trust.”

Command-and-control systems reflect a deep mistrust of employees’ commitment and competence. They also tend to overemphasize sanctions as a way of forcing compliance. That’s why so many organizations are filled with anxious employees who are hesitant to take the initiative or trust their own judgment. Organizational adaptability, innovation, and employee engagement can only thrive in a high-trust, low-fear culture. In such an environment, information is widely shared, contentious opinions are freely expressed, and risk taking is encouraged. Fear paralyzes, mistrust demoralizes—they must be wrung out of our management systems.

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Non-compliance can be viewed as a ‘problem’ resulting in solutions which are hoping to resolve that ‘problem’.
Hack by Heidi De Wolf on July 17, 2013
Embracing the principles of Autonomy & Trust and Openess & Transparency, this hack aims to establish the credibility and value of HR as a business partner by adapting the language and measurem
Hack by Harrison Withers on July 17, 2013
(this hack is available as a Powerpoint - see materials)In the last 40 years complexity thinking and sociology have given us new ways to understand uncertainty and the relationship between sc
Hack by Douglas Board on July 17, 2013
Our Hack was inspired by Coens & Jenkin’s book “Abolishing Performance Appraisals.”  There are several other academic books and papers, blog postings, and even hacks that recommend doing away
Hack by Andy Lippok on July 16, 2013
 In 2009, Citrix CEO Mark Templeton issued a challenge: Make Citrix a leader of design excellence by transforming the traditional engineering-driven company into one whose very DNA is built on th
Story by Catherine Courage on July 14, 2013
Teaming, also referred to as a self-directed work structure, participative management or a high performance work system, is a cultural priority for GE Aviation Supply Chain.  It is an effort to m
Story by Rasheedah Jones on July 14, 2013
Who are the people with the “least formal authority” in your organization? Your interns!
This is Karen's story. In 2011 a colleague and I attended a presentation at a conference. The speaker had made a mistake but had not realized it.
Story by Peter Rennie on July 14, 2013
A small not-for-profit introduces a summer job program for youth with support from the federal government.
Story by Behzad on July 14, 2013

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