ABSTRACT

Management’s concern has been that low trust creates a hostile work environment and reduces willingness to comply with safety program objectives. Trust exists on a team to the extent that the leader is able to build trusting relationships with followers and between followers. The leadership mindset that rebuilds trust and holds on to it is in the present and able to accept the emotions and contradictions that are sure to come up. Creating a safe structure to exchange perceptions was the first step in raising the level of trust and open communication. The goal was to raise the level of trust and open communication to improve employee engagement in safety, and it was quite successful. The workshop included employees, supervisors, managers from every department and EHS professionals. Hourly paid employees had to guess what managers would say hourly did to break down communication; managers had to write down what hourly would say about them.