Under extreme work pressure, Jayda did not keep promises that she made to her team members. In addition, she had emotional outbursts in the office against her staff.
Against this backdrop, we examine the underpinnings of trustworthiness, how trust is broken, and how it could potentially be repaired in different circumstances. Jayda embarks upon a journey to rebuild trust.
WHY THIS CASE?
Building trusting relationships at the workplace is one of the most important building blocks in a company in general and for any leader’s career. Broken trust undermines the foundations of relationships between colleagues and may have an impact on productivity, team performance, and the individual’s well-being. The case enables a discussion about the process of trust repair and the contingencies that shape the effectiveness of different repair tactics.
Opinion by Karine Rougé (H.04), CEO of Veolia North America’s Municipal Water services:
The case highlights the various ways trust can be built, lost and repaired within a team. I was absolutely thrilled to see HEC giving exposure to these topics to students. Interpersonal relationships and self management as a leader are not “nice to have” but essential skills to lead in a complex world. Leading in a purpose driven organization requires a deeper set of leadership skills, fostering trust, dialogue, and thus able to deal with complexity in a way that command-and-control leadership can’t.
Learn about the role of trust at work in this RESKILL Masterclass with Professor Brad Harris: Team Leadership in Times of Uncertainty: