1.  Predictability:  There should be no surprises.  Your reactions and positions on issues should be consistent.  You need to stay on course.  Your employees should be able to predict how you will react to a given situation.  Unpredictability undermines trust.

            2.  Congruity:  Managers cannot talk one way and walk another.  Again, consistency of message and action are critical to build a strong sense of trust.

            3.  Reliability:  Can your people depend on you to back them in a crisis?  Will you stand by them until they are proven wrong?  It’s very important that you be there for your employees.  If they can’t depend upon you to help, whom can they trust?

            4.  Integrity:  Is your word your bond?  Can you be depended upon to honor your commitments and promises?  Lacking integrity means you lack the central element for success in management.  Can you afford this deficiency?  Can you afford to lose employee trust because you lack integrity?

            5.  Openness:  Don’t treat your employees like mushrooms—keeping them in the dark.  The more you can share about your business, the more employees can contribute to helping build the business.  If you have dark secrets, you’re in the wrong business.  Be truthful to yourself and others.  People want to know what is going on in the company.  Talk to them!

            6.  Acceptance.  In today’s work environment, diversity is the descriptive phrase of the day.  As managers, we must learn to work with a diverse work force.  As managers, we must treat this diverse work force with value and worth.  Dignity for everyone is the only way to manage.  Lacking this characteristic is the quickest way to lose employee trust and the quickest way to meet your employee’s attorney. 

            7.  Sensitivity:  Each worker has his or her own individual set of needs.  Managers must be sensitive to them and make very effort to stay attuned to individual interests.  By being sensitive to needs, you can better assign work and build productivity and pride.  Need satisfaction motivates.  By identifying worker needs and striving to meet those needs, you’ve created a win-win situation.