Insights

Munich, September 20, 2023 – Trust is the stuff of which the foundation of a good work culture is cast. Unlike concrete, however, it does not solidify, needs interpersonal communication and constant care. The Munich communications agency PR-COM presents its model of trust pillars, with which employees and management can work together to ensure the trust factor.

The boldest architectural ideas would be nothing without the right foundation to anchor a building securely in its environment. An image that can also be transferred to the corporate context. After all, a company can only be crisis-proof if it stands on stable feet. Then employees and management pull together when the order situation is not rosy or the last mile of customer projects mutates into a mammoth task. Trust is the foundation on which an agile and crisis-proof corporate culture can be realized. The Munich communications agency PR-COM presents its model of trust pillars and their four key facts for the trust factor in the company.

1. Courage & honesty: There are always two sides to a bonding relationship. It takes courage and honesty to address difficult issues openly and find a solution together. However, this courage is rewarded. Because this is how trust develops, which becomes stronger and more crisis-proof with every challenge experienced.
2. Openness & Communication: Keeping quiet about challenges and sweeping them under the rug is the most comfortable course of action in many situations. But neither for human health nor for work culture is comfort a good advisor. Those who are not prepared to work continuously on shared values and goals and maintain open lines of communication lose mutual trust bit by bit. It feels all the more sustainable and stable when open and lived communication connects all employees.
3. Predictability & stability: Clear guidelines and defined goals reduce internal frustration and uncertainty. Predictability is therefore an important stability factor for employees, strengthening their trust in the company and its processes. However, not only performance but also cultural behaviors become predictable. As a consequence, no one has to fear sudden crisis messages if the division of labor functions reliably and communication about it is maintained.
4. Error culture & solution orientation: Making mistakes is human and often the starting point for great ideas. Because only those who make mistakes learn new things and can develop further. A practiced error culture is therefore a central criterion for respectful and benevolent interaction with one another. It should be solution-oriented so that the entire company can continue to develop – in a sense, future orientation instead of problem glasses.

“Trust is a two-way street that connects all stakeholders of a company and especially the employees and the management,” explains Martina Jahrbacher, Managing Director at PR-COM. “A culture of trust provides a shared vision and strengthens interpersonal communication and the sense of ‘we’ in the company. Without trust, there is no good togetherness in the long term. This is especially true today because home offices and digital working often cause a spatial and emotional distance that wants to be filled in a good way.”