This is the final in the four-part series on Trust.
Building Trust
Trust is dynamic as are relationships.
The building of Trust starts with the Founder(s)/Leaders in the organisation.
Trust needs to be built proactively and is an ongoing process. This means that Founder(s)/Leader(s) need to be intentional about and recognise the importance of building Trust within their organisations.
Through our experience we have ascertained that building Trust requires the integration of what we refer to as Human Dynamics and Business Mechanics. The two must operate symbiotically for Trust to be fully experienced.
Human Dynamics is a system that gives structure to how relationships, communications, and energy flows which integrates into the business strategy.
Business Mechanics is a series of structures and systems designed to progressively equip small business leaders with the essential tools necessary to maximize their business operations and revenue while maintaining an interactive approach of human-centred dynamics.
Therefore, for example, if processes are inadequate or broken this will lead to a deterioration in Trust in the same way as if communication is broken.
In starting to build Trust there are a few criteria to be considered in the purview of Human Dynamics. These include and are not limited to:
- Clear Communications / Establishing a common language
- Following through on commitments / Understanding what can cause commitments not to be met
- Setting clear expectations / Transparency
- Establishing Values and Behaviours / Building authentic relationships
- Recognise Trust triggers emotional responses
Likewise, within Business Mechanics it is imperative that processes, systems, and structures are robust and continually improved as required. When these break down, so does Trust.
Trust requires work
Trust is two-way and requires work. There should be no expectation that trust is automatically built.
Trust operates at three levels in an organisation
- The individual level
- The team level and
- Between departments/functions
Trust cannot be built in a meaningful way if Human Dynamics and Business Mechanics are not developed and integrated with each other. The result of focusing on building one or the other more deeply will result in negative outcomes as an imbalance will be created in the organization. There is an interplay between them that requires equal levels of importance being given to each of them.
Maintaining and Measuring Trust
Maintaining Trust within an organization begins with understanding the levels at which Trust exists and having a process in which to measure Trust.
It is essential that the founder(s)/leadership team knows the levels of Trust at each phase in the business’s journey, which can only be ascertained by measuring it.
Imaginal has created a Trust Barometer, a diagnostic tool, that enables an organisation to measure the level of Trust within it by measuring its climate. If an organization wants to increase its value and impact, the level of Trust must be high.
We look at Trust through three lenses which have a vital impact on every organisation. These three areas are always interdependent and are the three contextual areas measuring in the Trust Barometer. They are:
- Processes
- Communication
- Climate (Culture)
When measured, these reveal whether an organization is in a state of stability or is increasing or decreasing in value and impact.
It is only possible for the organization to increase in value once it has achieved a state of stability in its climate.

Depending on the climate within the organization, each of these shows up positively or negatively and at varying levels of impact. When they are positive, the organisation can be said to earn a Trust dividend. When they are negative, the organization incurs a Trust tax. There is also a third state, a neutral state, which is one of stability.
A Trust tax can decrease commercial output by about as much as 80%, and a Trust dividend can increase profitability by as much as 80%.
It is known that the level of Trust in an organization signifies the speed at which it will be able to move forward or backwards. Therefore, organizations operating in the lower part of the Trust Barometer, that is, within the area denoting a trust tax will not be able to move as quickly as one that is stable or functioning within the area of a trust dividend.
Be aware that levels of Trust will go up and down as an organization grows and people learn to be in relationship with each other. Trust is dynamic as are relationships.
The Trust Barometer provides a snapshot in time to help the Founder(s)/Leadership Team to gauge where the organization’s level of Trust is and so respond accordingly.
At an individual level, the Trust Barometer reveals what people are thinking, sensing, and experiencing about the organization at that given moment.
Results from the Trust Barometer are provided at an organisational level revealing the level of Trust that exists within the organisation at that time. The results are presented as the average of the combined results of everyone who has completed the Trust Barometer for the organization.
To find out about completing the Trust Barometer for your organization go to Trust Barometer – Imaginal Ventures.