How Blind Should Trust Be?

What struck me most about the Murdoch inquisition was the ebb and flow, not of conversation but of trust, within News International and News Corporation.

Of course that should be a necessary and reciprocal part of any business, but that’s only really possible when accompanied with information. And whilst trust may have been given and received freely within the organisation, information clearly wasn’t.

So is it appropriate for senior management to have blind trust in its employees?

Much of an organisation’s culture and value system comes from the top. It’s the heads that set the company’s moral compass and dictate what is and is not acceptable and expected behaviour. Leaders can only really lead effectively by example. And if their practice is to give blind trust then this will filter down the organisation and arguably focus line management on the output, and not necessarily the methodologies involved, or their associated ethical implications.

I guess it’s more myopic trust really, but it’s certainly a facet of many businesses’ management ethos and is one that is damaging, and in the current climate intolerable and unsustainable.

The basis of trust is information. And its dissemination should be shaped by ethically-sound codes of practice, which are shared, embedded and policed. Such codes should articulate the acceptable behaviours staff can employ to meet the business objectives. Enshrining the company’s stated values and ethics in codes and guidelines, sets the moral standard throughout the business.

But trust and information also need opportunity. Staff must have ample opportunity to discuss and raise issues regarding trust and ethics as a course of day-to-day business. The organisational culture must accommodate and encourage this if a truly trustworthy and trusted company is desired.

I’m not sure I believe blind trust really exists in the business environment. Wilful blindness on the other hand is a topic I’ve blogged about before http://ethicsandmarketing.blogspot.com/2011_01_01_archive.html.

So I guess for me the bottom line is if you think you’ve got an issue, trust your instincts and test your ethics.