Workers Feel Most Valued When Their Managers Trust Them

Professional workers are more likely to think their own work is important and feel it helps their team’s success when their managers show they trust them, according to  a recent study. Different types of social capital, such as building trust and creating common values, influence employees’ performance and how they feel about their work

A survey of 457 people tried to measure levels of participants’ involvement when their manager used social capital. About 74% of the respondents said having a manager who encouraged trust – for example, by asking opinions during meetings and encouraging them to share their knowledge with the team – made them feel positively about their own work. This was often more important than if their work was completed on time, not using more money than planned and well enough

?Why it matters
Companies regularly fail to successfully complete projects. It doesn’t mean they don’t complete them, but they don’t finish the project on time, not using more money than planned or by some other measure of success. In fact, it’s estimated that over half of projects – whether the joining together of companies, a public works project like a bridge or a sporting event like the Olympics – fail by one measure or another. This is why understanding what causes their success is so important

Research suggests the obvious lack of project success is partly because the main standards which guide how businesses think about it – time, cost and quality – may not be as important as encouraging trust among the workers which is necessary for success. This isn’t to say the other measures aren’t important, the use of social capital in a way that makes employees feel valued could be a part which is missed