Trust is one of the world's most valuable assets, but it is also becoming increasingly scarce. For years, trust in institutions – and in each other – has been eroding. However, new research points to one bright spot: trust in employers.
I recently attended an event to celebrate the release of Trust in the Workplace, a special report based on the findings of the 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer. According to the report, trust in "my employer" is 27 points higher than trust in other institutions such as the media, non-governmental organizations, and government. It also implies that coworkers find it easier to discuss important issues with their coworkers than with their neighbors.
These are remarkable findings that raise an important question: Where does this trust come from? After much thought, I believe the answer boils down to a single word: mutual respect.
All around us, respect is eroding. We see it every day on television from pundits and politicians, as well as anonymous comments on social media: harsh language, reductive arguments, and assumptions of bad intent. This inability to communicate constructively not only damages relationships, but it also undermines trust.
Meanwhile, the workplace has long emphasized the importance of mutual respect. It turns out that this expectation provides individuals with a safe space to engage in non-polarizing social conversations. This foundation of respect has persisted even as topics such as climate change, race, gender, and reproductive health have made their way into the office, as Edelman's research shows.
So, when Richard Edleman and the moderator, Kevin Delaney, asked me if there is anything we can learn from the workplace that we can use to increase respect elsewhere, it made me think! What came to mind is what I've seen over the last 12 years working at VMware.
The first step is to invite people to openly share their perspectives and be heard.
So, when Richard Edleman and the moderator, Kevin Delaney, asked me if there is anything we can learn from the workplace that we can use to increase respect elsewhere, it made me think! What came to mind is what I've seen over the last 12 years working at VMware.
The first step is to invite people to open up and listen.
The second factor naturally follows from the first: dialogue. This entails not only talking about it, but also establishing structures or forums in which people can engage with one another on critical issues without fear of judgement or retaliation.
The final, and perhaps most important, factor is transparency regarding any actions or decisions that result from that listening and dialogue.
Taken together, these three factors foster a culture of mutual respect in the workplace, and they have served as the foundation for much of VMware's approach to engagement on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues.
On the engagement front, VMware has established multiple channels for people to provide feedback and communicate in the way that is most comfortable for them. Internally, this includes employee listening circles, surveys, and anonymous feedback opportunities, as well as ask-me-anything forums, skip-level meetings, and company culture surveys. We also have a robust network of employee resource groups, known as Power of Difference (PODs) communities, that enable employees to bring their entire selves to work. Externally, we host special roundtables and forums where customers and partners can express themselves.
Being intentional about putting structures in place to facilitate listening and dialogue has been just as important as embracing transparency when communicating difficult decisions or information. I saw firsthand how important this was in assisting us in navigating and responding to workplace changes that arose during the pandemic, as well as difficult topics of discussion during the George Floyd protests.
ESG is frequently intertwined with many complex and challenging social issues in today's workplace. Listening, dialogue, and transparency are fundamental to effectively embracing these new realities. We listen to and engage with stakeholders on a regular basis to ensure that our ESG efforts align with emerging best practices and reflect the needs of our customers, suppliers, partners, and others. We challenged ourselves to improve our ESG disclosures year over year as part of our efforts to drive transparency around our ESG performance. This is reflected in VMware's most recent ESG Report, which details the company's progress toward our 2030 Agenda and ESG commitments.
Finally, we recognize that trust cannot be earned once through a single action or statement. It is something that must be earned on a daily basis. Companies that lead in ESG strive to earn the trust of all stakeholders through listening, dialogue, and transparency based on a mutual respect culture.
Can some of these workplace principles and practices be used to boost trust elsewhere in society? I'd like to believe so. As with all societal challenges, this will necessitate collaboration across multiple institutions, and a foundation of mutual respect will be critical to progress.
I recently attended an event to celebrate the release of Trust in the Workplace, a special report based on the findings of the 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer. According to the report, trust in "my employer" is 27 points higher than trust in other institutions such as the media, non-governmental organizations, and government. It also implies that coworkers find it easier to discuss important issues with their coworkers than with their neighbors.
These are remarkable findings that raise an important question: Where does this trust come from? After much thought, I believe the answer boils down to a single word: mutual respect.
All around us, respect is eroding. We see it every day on television from pundits and politicians, as well as anonymous comments on social media: harsh language, reductive arguments, and assumptions of bad intent. This inability to communicate constructively not only damages relationships, but it also undermines trust.
Meanwhile, the workplace has long emphasized the importance of mutual respect. It turns out that this expectation provides individuals with a safe space to engage in non-polarizing social conversations. This foundation of respect has persisted even as topics such as climate change, race, gender, and reproductive health have made their way into the office, as Edelman's research shows.
So, when Richard Edleman and the moderator, Kevin Delaney, asked me if there is anything we can learn from the workplace that we can use to increase respect elsewhere, it made me think! What came to mind is what I've seen over the last 12 years working at VMware.
The first step is to invite people to openly share their perspectives and be heard.
So, when Richard Edleman and the moderator, Kevin Delaney, asked me if there is anything we can learn from the workplace that we can use to increase respect elsewhere, it made me think! What came to mind is what I've seen over the last 12 years working at VMware.
The first step is to invite people to open up and listen.
The second factor naturally follows from the first: dialogue. This entails not only talking about it, but also establishing structures or forums in which people can engage with one another on critical issues without fear of judgement or retaliation.
The final, and perhaps most important, factor is transparency regarding any actions or decisions that result from that listening and dialogue.
Taken together, these three factors foster a culture of mutual respect in the workplace, and they have served as the foundation for much of VMware's approach to engagement on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues.
On the engagement front, VMware has established multiple channels for people to provide feedback and communicate in the way that is most comfortable for them. Internally, this includes employee listening circles, surveys, and anonymous feedback opportunities, as well as ask-me-anything forums, skip-level meetings, and company culture surveys. We also have a robust network of employee resource groups, known as Power of Difference (PODs) communities, that enable employees to bring their entire selves to work. Externally, we host special roundtables and forums where customers and partners can express themselves.
Being intentional about putting structures in place to facilitate listening and dialogue has been just as important as embracing transparency when communicating difficult decisions or information. I saw firsthand how important this was in assisting us in navigating and responding to workplace changes that arose during the pandemic, as well as difficult topics of discussion during the George Floyd protests.
ESG is frequently intertwined with many complex and challenging social issues in today's workplace. Listening, dialogue, and transparency are fundamental to effectively embracing these new realities. We listen to and engage with stakeholders on a regular basis to ensure that our ESG efforts align with emerging best practices and reflect the needs of our customers, suppliers, partners, and others. We challenged ourselves to improve our ESG disclosures year over year as part of our efforts to drive transparency around our ESG performance. This is reflected in VMware's most recent ESG Report, which details the company's progress toward our 2030 Agenda and ESG commitments.
Finally, we recognize that trust cannot be earned once through a single action or statement. It is something that must be earned on a daily basis. Companies that lead in ESG strive to earn the trust of all stakeholders through listening, dialogue, and transparency based on a mutual respect culture.
Can some of these workplace principles and practices be used to boost trust elsewhere in society? I'd like to believe so. As with all societal challenges, this will necessitate collaboration across multiple institutions, and a foundation of mutual respect will be critical to progress.