One of the items we measure in the employee satisfaction surveys we conduct is the level of trust employees have in what management tells them. This almost always turns out to be a very important factor when we calculate the relative importance of the attributes included in the survey.

Management has to build trust through it actions. At a minimum, management should not lie to employees if trust is to be built and maintained. But not lying, in and of itself, may not be enough to develop a trusting relationship, particularly when a company is at a key crossroad.

In addition to not lying, management must share important information with employees as soon as possible. For example, if layoffs are being considered, this information should be shared with employees as early in the "thinking process" as possible, even if the exact magnitude of the layoffs has not been determined. Major actions such as layoffs rarely escape the rumor mill, and the rumor mill has a knack of generating stories more horrific than any action actually being contemplated.

If the press picks up an important intended action, such as layoffs, before employees are told about it, severe damage can be done to employees' trust in management. This damage can be heightened if management initially denies the truth of the reported action and later admits that it will occur. It would have been better for management, in such a circumstance, to say "no comment."

Certainly, contractual/legal obligations will preclude management from telling the world everything about its intentions. But there comes a point where letting employees know of an intended action will not cause contractual problems. When this point is reached, employees should be the first to be told what is happening. If the only thing stopping management from confiding in employees about an intended action is the fear that some employees may resign, the situation has reached a point where forthrightness on the part of management will yield more benefits than problems.